Man arrested after school girls accuse him of following them in Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – Police have arrested a man who, they said, was accused by young girls of following them as they walked to their school in Fort Lauderdale.

A heavy police presence was set up near William Dandy Middle School, at 2400 NW 26th St., Wednesday morning.

“This is dangerous,” Junior Colacin, a parent, said. “It’s a sad story. First time I’m hearing about it, and I hope everybody is OK. You just got to be careful and make sure as soon as you see something suspicious, call the cops, whoever. Just be safe out there.”

Jarell Mackey, 25, has been arrested and charged with trespassing on school grounds, resisting arrest and has two outstanding warrants.

A number of female students alerted school staff when the presence of a strange man made them feel uncomfortable. The young girls told their school administrators that someone was following them, and the school called Fort Lauderdale Police.

When police made contact with the man, he took off running, but he was caught a few blocks away.

“He got reported, and the police were called. That’s all I really know, though,” student Sani Harron said. “My teachers said that they found him over by the bus loop. We were in the cafeteria hiding.”