Over the last few days several readers have written in reporting a number of incidents involving a suspicious man driving around the neighborhood, stopping to ask women along the streets for the time or directions to Magnolia. Last week someone shared their experience on the Queen Anne Moms and Dads Yahoo group, and since then a number of women have shared stories of similar incidents in the past few days. One reader who would like to remain nameless (we’ll call her “C”) decided to make an incident report with the Seattle Police Department, and shared the following information with us:
Over the past couple of weeks, a man has been driving around Queen Anne, pulling over and asking women for directions to Magnolia. Occasionally, he’ll proposition them – even asking them inappropriate questions or having them come a little closer so that he can hear them. It wasn’t until last week when someone posted to the QueenAnnemomsanddads yahoo group about her creepy interaction with him that other people shared that they had the same experience. Then – a stronger pattern emerged – and has gotten progressively more disconcerting.
According to C and a number of other witnesses, the man was first seen driving a dark green Ford Explorer and later in a silver Acura that, according to C, police have identified as stolen. One woman was able to snap a picture of one of the cars and has passed it on to police.
The man is described as a Caucasian male between the ages of 25 and 35, “somewhat round-faced”, with brown hair, a slightly receding hairline and a thin, pointy goatee. The man has been seen in both an older 4-door dark green Ford Explorer with silver trim details on the sides and racks on top, and a silver 2-door Acura with tan interiors. (We could not include the license plate number as this man has not yet been charged of a crime).
Another reader, who would also like to remain anonymous, said she could have crossed paths with the man as soon as yesterday, Tuesday, June 16, when she wrote:
This morning a man in an older green Ford Explorer drove slowly next to me then pulled over as I was walking alone on Boston street to ask for the time… if it was this man, then he’s using the Explorer as well as the stolen Acura again and is still around the area.
SPD recommends that anyone who has any information about this man or has encountered him call 911 to report the incident. The initial incident report to reference is #10-190357. The overseeing officer is Kurt Alstrin.
Update 3:49 p.m.: According to SPD Officer David Hockett, this man (whose name we cannot disclose as he has not yet been charged with any crimes) was arrested at approximately 11 p.m. last night, Tuesday, June 15. We’ll keep you posted if we hear any more.