A person donning a cartoonish Pink Panther-like costume has been accused of hunting down local Virginia school kids in broad daylight, the New York Post reported. Police are on the lookout for the person, seen in a video doing the rounds on social media, who reportedly followed children in Fredericksburg, Virginia, last week. The person nearly snatched up a little girl, per the outlet.
The Fredericksburg Police Department shared an update in a Facebook post, writing, “On Thursday, May 14, 2026, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the Fredericksburg E-911 Center received a report of suspicious activity in the Lafayette Boulevard corridor. The suspect (pictured) is described as wearing a pink costume and was reported to have been following children. The Fredericksburg Police Department takes these incidents seriously and has increased patrols in the Lafayette Boulevard corridor. Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to authorities immediately.”
“The investigation remains ongoing, and the Fredericksburg Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance. Anyone who has seen or interacted with the suspect is urged to contact the Fredericksburg Police Department at 540-373-3122. To make an anonymous tip, send a text to “847-411” and text “FPDtip” followed by your tip. Or, download the free FPD Tip app available for Android and iPhones. To download the app, search “FPD Tip” in the Google or iTunes App Store,” the post added.
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What we know so far
The alleged predator reportedly trailed a group of terrified children fresh off the school bus in Fredericksburg. A shocking video shows him prowling along the grassy roadside near the Lafayette Boulevard corridor.
A local resident shared images of the man in the pink costume, writing on X, “Hey Fredericksburg friends/parents- We had quite the scare yesterday.. This man stared down my son and one of the older neighbors from across the road. *(Lafayette Blvd) Thats when this picture was snapped. He was walking towards Family Dollar. Spotted them and walked back towards them and was standing- staring at them close to the intersection of **Lafayette and Longstreet Avenue.”
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The resident added, “He looked like he wanted to cross. But could not bc of traffic. When the bus came. It stopped traffic and he got the opportunity to cross Lafayette. When my daughter and a little neighbor girl got off the bus. And it drove away.. He chased after all 4 kids and tried to grab the little girl (slowest) her sister pulled her away and they got away. A car drove by them (Scaring him?) and he turned and ran away. We drove around looking for him. Asked everyone outside if they saw him. No one saw him. He just vanished.”
The resident further said that they made a police report and transportation was notified. The children said that there was a hole in the costume near the person’s eye, and the individual looked like a man.
“Had facial hair and he appeared to have a tan complexion,” the post said.
The person was seen in a bizarre pink costume, plus a red and black plaid shirt draped over it and cowboy boots. A small bag was seen dangling from his neck.
