A child about 10 years old, accompanied by an adult male who is believed to be his father, has been knocking on doors around Willow Glen, requesting donations for a Schallenberger Elementary School walk-a-thon.

But the walk-a-thon happened last October, and the school is not currently collecting money for the event, said Schallenberger Principal Margaret Graves.

Valerie Catanese filed a police report after a boy came to her house on Jan. 24, requesting money for the walk-a-thon. He had a sheet with about 25 of her neighbor's signatures, she said, as well as a listing of donated amounts between $15 and $20.

"After telling him I'd write a check for $15 he said everyone's been giving him cash," Catanese said. "He turned and asked his father if it would be all right to write a check and the father said yes."

Catanese wrote the check out to Schallenberger Elementary School. The next day her neighbor found the check on the ground in the street and returned it to Catanese.

She drove to the school to give the boy the $15 she thought he'd accidentally dropped, worried that he might be in trouble for losing the money. But when she arrived, Catenese was asked to meet with the principal and was told that several other people had complained about a similar incident.

Graves said she is aware of at least five other victims of the scam, which was first reported to her by a Willow Glen resident on Dec. 17, 2002.

One Willow Glen resident, who wished not to be identified for security reasons, said the suspect and his father came to her house asking for money around Christmastime. She did not give the boy money because she has a child at the school and knew the walk-a-thon had already been held.

Several of the victims have identified the boy from photos provided by Graves. According to a report filed with the San Jose Police Department, the suspect attended Schallenberger Elementary School last spring and is now attending Willow Glen Middle School.

The suspect has frequented Constitution, Kirkmont and Laurelwood drives and Durant Avenue, Adele Place and the corner of Husted and Plummer avenues solicting donations for the event.

Another Willow Glen resident, who does not wish to be identified, filed a police report after a boy fitting the same description knocked on her door Jan. 21 requesting money for the walk-a-thon. According to the report, the boy told her the walk-a-thon had already occurred and he was collecting additional funds to meet his goal and needed an additional $20.

When she tried to write him a check, he told her he didn't take checks, so she gave him cash. She contacted the school and was told he is no longer a student.

"He seemed like a cute, clean-cut, nice, polite kid who looked like he was in middle school," Catanese said. "My kids used to collect money when they were younger so I wanted to contribute. Even though Booksin is the elementary school in my area, my neighbors all give to the kids when they come by."

A police investigator has not been assigned to the case yet, Dixon said.

"But if people are at all suspicious, they should be careful before giving money out," he said.

If found guilty, the child, as a minor, would be referred to juvenile hall, Dixon added.

Anyone with information about the incidents is advised to call 311.