BRIDGEPORT, PA — Police say a man has been taken into custody after allegedly attempting to grab a teenage girl waiting for her school bus Tuesday morning in Upper Merion Township.
According to the Upper Merion Township Police Department, officers responded around 6:30 a.m. on August 26, 2025, to the area of the Sacred Heart Church on Jefferson Street in the Swedesburg section of the township following a report of a suspicious encounter.
Investigators said a 14-year-old Upper Merion High School student was waiting at a bus stop when she was approached by an unknown male. The man allegedly grabbed her arm, but the student managed to break free and run away. She immediately called her mother to report what had happened.
With the help of witnesses and the student’s description, police from both Upper Merion and Bridgeport quickly located the suspect near Holstein and Coates Streets. The 36-year-old man, whose last known address is in Norristown, was taken into custody without incident.
He has been charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and harassment. Following arraignment, bail was set at $5,000 cash, which he was unable to post. He is being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility pending a preliminary hearing.
Police commended the student’s quick actions in escaping and calling for help. The case remains under investigation, and authorities are encouraging anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the Upper Merion Investigations Division at 610-265-3232.
Authorities emphasize that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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