2 Fairfield students fight off alleged assailant en route to school

FAIRFIELD, Calif. - Two 12-year-old students fought off an alleged attacker on a BMX-style bike on Wednesday in Fairfield as they were walking to school, police said.

"We're incredibly proud of the actions taken by these two children," Fairfield police said on Facebook.

Police said a man wearing jeans and a brown shirt on a gray bike approached the students around 8:30 a.m. on a bike path between Meadowlark Drive and East Tabor Avenue when he tried to "assault" them.

Police did not describe the nature of the assault.

Somehow, the children were able to fight the man off. 

Police said when they got to school, they told staff what happened, who then alerted police.

Fairfield police said they will keep an extra eye on the school, including the roads and paths in the nearby area.

For example, police launched drones to scour the area from above and dispatched motorcycle officers to patrol the surrounding streets.  

Special Victims Unit detectives were also assigned to the case.

In the meantime, authorities are reminding parents of steps they can take to ensure their students' safety, such as encouraging them to walk in pairs and to never speak to strangers.

Self-defense classes are available for children through the Fairfield PAL Teen Center this summer. 

Police also reminded parents to teach their children their home addresses and the contact information of trusted friends and family members.

Anyone with information about the incident or who may have seen someone matching the man's description is asked to call the police department at (707) 428-7300, option B.