Brian4Liberty
04-27-2010, 10:03 PM
This was a big story in San Francisco this week. This guy's picture was on the local news, and he was treated like a most wanted subject.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Parents-worried-about-man-prowling-at-Richmond-park-92070374.html
Parents worried about man prowling at Richmond park
By: Mike Aldax
April 26, 2010
Unwanted guest: Parents have reported to police that a “creepy” man has been seen taking pictures of children at Mountain Lake Park in the Richmond district. (Mike Koozmin/Special to The Examiner)
Moms are mobilizing in the Richmond district against a “scary” man suspected of taking cell phone pictures of children at a playground.
Residents around Mountain Lake Park say the so-called lurker has been seen multiple times snapping photos of boys and girls on park play structures, and they fear the man may attack their children.
The suspect, reportedly a white man wearing sunglasses, does not have children with him when he shows up to the park, but “pretends like he does” and also pretends he “is there to do pull-ups,” according to phone, e-mail and word-of-mouth reports that have circulated among parents, community organizations and police officials in the neighborhood. Those reports also call the man “scary.”
The suspect is rumored to have offered kids candy, said Beth Sutro, whose children, ages 3 and 16 months, frequent the park daily.
“It’s totally unsettling and nerve-wracking,” Sutro said. “It’s what you see in movies or after-school specials.”
Moms have played an integral role in helping police search for the mystery man, who has yet to be identified but might want to think twice about visiting the playground again given all the attention.
“The network of moms in this community has been so vigilant,” Sutro said.
One woman snapped a photo of the suspect using her cell phone, followed him to his car — a silver Chrysler PT Cruiser — and then e-mailed her discoveries to the San Francisco Police Department, according to a newsletter report from Richmond Police Station Capt. Richard Corriea.
“The volume of Internet traffic related to this issue has been significant,” Corriea said in the report.
The investigation has included stakeouts at the park. A search of the SFPD’s sex-offender database “was unproductive,” but the suspect’s photograph has been sent to state authorities, he said.
Last week, Corriea and police officials met with about 40 members of the group Friends of Mountain Lake Park to discuss the situation.
Those who believe they may have spotted the lurker are urged to contact Richmond Police Station at (415) 553-0123.
Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Parents-worried-about-man-prowling-at-Richmond-park-92070374.html#ixzz0mMcyAeEI
http://richmondsfblog.com/2010/04/27/update-from-richmond-pd-on-alleged-mt-lake-park-lurker/
Update from Richmond PD on alleged Mt. Lake Park lurker
An email sent out this morning by Captain Richard Correia of the Richmond DIstrict Police Station:
——————————-
On April 21, 2010 Richmond Station was alerted though a widely circulated email about suspicious activity by a lone adult male at Mountain Lake Park . The email stated the individual had been using his cell phone to take photographs of other people’s children near the park’s play structures. He did not have any children with him and was doing pull ups while wearing slacks and a jacket. A parent used a cell phone to take a photograph of the subject, which she included with the email.
The volume of Internet traffic related to this issue was significant and served to raise public awareness about the issue. From the online comments and those we heard at a community meeting, it was apparent that the incident generated a great deal of angst and questions about the level of safety in our community. People were frightened.
Upon receipt of the email we started an investigation. Our intent was to identify the individual, determine if he had violated any laws and ascertain if he presented an actual risk to our community.
On April 26, 2010, plain-clothes officers identified the subject and met with him at his home. While surprised at being the subject of a police investigation, he was cooperative and unguarded. Officers interviewed him and reviewed his background. He allowed officers to examine his cell phone and his laptop computer. He stated that he hadn’t taken any photographs. He explained that he was looking at his phone’s screen while using the telephone’s stop watch feature as part of his work out. Such an activity could be perceived as a person taking photographs.
Our investigation did not disclose any facts that suggest that the individual had engaged in illegal activity or that he presents a risk to our community. We informed him about signage in the park that prohibits adults from entering the children’s play area except when they are accompanying children.
I appreciate your many emails about this incident. I hope that the results of our investigation help to assuage any worries you have had about the safety of children in our community. Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Parents-worried-about-man-prowling-at-Richmond-park-92070374.html
Parents worried about man prowling at Richmond park
By: Mike Aldax
April 26, 2010
Unwanted guest: Parents have reported to police that a “creepy” man has been seen taking pictures of children at Mountain Lake Park in the Richmond district. (Mike Koozmin/Special to The Examiner)
Moms are mobilizing in the Richmond district against a “scary” man suspected of taking cell phone pictures of children at a playground.
Residents around Mountain Lake Park say the so-called lurker has been seen multiple times snapping photos of boys and girls on park play structures, and they fear the man may attack their children.
The suspect, reportedly a white man wearing sunglasses, does not have children with him when he shows up to the park, but “pretends like he does” and also pretends he “is there to do pull-ups,” according to phone, e-mail and word-of-mouth reports that have circulated among parents, community organizations and police officials in the neighborhood. Those reports also call the man “scary.”
The suspect is rumored to have offered kids candy, said Beth Sutro, whose children, ages 3 and 16 months, frequent the park daily.
“It’s totally unsettling and nerve-wracking,” Sutro said. “It’s what you see in movies or after-school specials.”
Moms have played an integral role in helping police search for the mystery man, who has yet to be identified but might want to think twice about visiting the playground again given all the attention.
“The network of moms in this community has been so vigilant,” Sutro said.
One woman snapped a photo of the suspect using her cell phone, followed him to his car — a silver Chrysler PT Cruiser — and then e-mailed her discoveries to the San Francisco Police Department, according to a newsletter report from Richmond Police Station Capt. Richard Corriea.
“The volume of Internet traffic related to this issue has been significant,” Corriea said in the report.
The investigation has included stakeouts at the park. A search of the SFPD’s sex-offender database “was unproductive,” but the suspect’s photograph has been sent to state authorities, he said.
Last week, Corriea and police officials met with about 40 members of the group Friends of Mountain Lake Park to discuss the situation.
Those who believe they may have spotted the lurker are urged to contact Richmond Police Station at (415) 553-0123.
Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Parents-worried-about-man-prowling-at-Richmond-park-92070374.html#ixzz0mMcyAeEI
http://richmondsfblog.com/2010/04/27/update-from-richmond-pd-on-alleged-mt-lake-park-lurker/
Update from Richmond PD on alleged Mt. Lake Park lurker
An email sent out this morning by Captain Richard Correia of the Richmond DIstrict Police Station:
——————————-
On April 21, 2010 Richmond Station was alerted though a widely circulated email about suspicious activity by a lone adult male at Mountain Lake Park . The email stated the individual had been using his cell phone to take photographs of other people’s children near the park’s play structures. He did not have any children with him and was doing pull ups while wearing slacks and a jacket. A parent used a cell phone to take a photograph of the subject, which she included with the email.
The volume of Internet traffic related to this issue was significant and served to raise public awareness about the issue. From the online comments and those we heard at a community meeting, it was apparent that the incident generated a great deal of angst and questions about the level of safety in our community. People were frightened.
Upon receipt of the email we started an investigation. Our intent was to identify the individual, determine if he had violated any laws and ascertain if he presented an actual risk to our community.
On April 26, 2010, plain-clothes officers identified the subject and met with him at his home. While surprised at being the subject of a police investigation, he was cooperative and unguarded. Officers interviewed him and reviewed his background. He allowed officers to examine his cell phone and his laptop computer. He stated that he hadn’t taken any photographs. He explained that he was looking at his phone’s screen while using the telephone’s stop watch feature as part of his work out. Such an activity could be perceived as a person taking photographs.
Our investigation did not disclose any facts that suggest that the individual had engaged in illegal activity or that he presents a risk to our community. We informed him about signage in the park that prohibits adults from entering the children’s play area except when they are accompanying children.
I appreciate your many emails about this incident. I hope that the results of our investigation help to assuage any worries you have had about the safety of children in our community. Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions.