On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, around 2:20 p.m. the Tracy Police Department (TPD) responded to Gladys Poet-Christian Elementary School in the 1700 block of south Central Avenue for a 911 call of an attempted kidnapping on campus. The male was reportedly armed with a screwdriver and had run away when confronted by a parent.
Staff from the school chased the male on foot while on 911 to direct TPD officers to the suspect’s location. After a short foot chase, the suspect was detained, without incident, in a field behind Raley’s in the 2500 block of South Tracy Boulevard, approximately 7 minutes after the first 911 call.
Following an investigation by TPD’s School Resource Officers, Shiva Sharma (20 years old from Tracy, CA) was arrested for two counts of attempted kidnapping and booked into San Joaquin County Jail. No students, parents, or staff were injured during the incident, and staff from the Tracy Unified School District have been working closely with us during this investigation. TUSD also sent a letter home to parents to communicate what had happened and their cooperation with our investigation.
The Tracy Police Department places the highest priority on the safety of our students and schools so the neighborhood surrounding the school may have seen a large police response. We continue to work closely with all our school partners to ensure a safe environment for our students to learn.
IMAGE: Shiva Sharma Booking Photo
