Lake Mary PD: Man wearing face mask tries to snatch 9-year-old girl off hoverboard

The Lake Mary Police Department is searching for a man they say was wearing a coronavirus face mask when he allegedly tried to grab a 9-year-old girl playing on a hoverboard outside her home earlier this week. 

Police say the girl was grabbed outside the Bell Timacuan Apartments. The victim screamed, escaped, and ran to safety.

Surgical masks and other face coverings have become commonplace sightings around the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police described the suspect as a white male in his 20s with a normal build who stands about 6-feet tall. He has brown eyes and brown hair with “blonde brownish highlights.” The suspect was wearing all black clothes -- long pants, a long-sleeved sweatshirt, and Nike shoes, police said.

He also reportedly had “a strong odor of smoke” according to police. Authorities released a composite sketch of the suspect on Thursday.

Anyone who recognizes him is asked to call authorities.