Followup: More details on police search for flasher seen near Holy Rosary

(UPDATED 3:04 PM with new text of police update)

Just in – new information from police about the flasher incident reported here on Monday afternoon after Holy Rosary School sent an alert to parents, who forwarded it to us. From SPD Blotter:

Officers continue to look for a man who exposed himself to children outside Holy Rosary School. On September 9th at approximately 1:15 p.m. three 9-year-old girls were sitting on the edge of the playground when they noticed the suspect sitting in his vehicle, a large white SUV parked the wrong way on 41st Avenue SW, facing northbound on the west side of the street next to the playground.

The suspect summoned the girls over to his truck. As the girls got closer they saw that the suspect, who was sitting in the reclined driver’s seat, was not wearing any pants or underwear. All three girls turned around and walked back toward the school building and went back to class where the incident was reported.

There was no attempted or actual physical contact between the suspect and the three girls nor is there any indication that the suspect ever exited the truck.

The suspect drove off before the arrival of responding officers. Officers conducted an area search; however, the suspect remains at large.

The suspect is described as a white male in his mid to late 20′s with short dark hair and a heavy build.
Officers notified school staff of the incident and disseminated the details of the incident and the suspect/vehicle description to all patrol officers working in the West Seattle area.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect or his vehicle is asked to call 911 or the Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit at 206-684-5575 and refer to this incident. Anonymous tips are welcome.

Sexual Assault Unit detectives are actively investigating the incident.

EDITOR’S NOTE, 3:04 PM: We have updated the text above to reflect SPD’s updated blotter post, with a few more details.

33 Replies to "Followup: More details on police search for flasher seen near Holy Rosary"

  • Diane September 10, 2013 (2:35 pm)

    a girl never forgets her 1st flasher; mine was very similar, in a car (decades ago); hopefully this guy does nothing more than flashing

  • Mags September 10, 2013 (3:21 pm)

    I’ve this happen 5 times in my life – the flasher thing. That’s right Diane – a girl never forgets. Mine was in 4th grade. My first erection to see – sorry to be so explicit, but that’s the impact. What a freakish looser.

  • LS September 10, 2013 (3:36 pm)

    Wow, who knew we all had the same experience in our younger years? The ‘flasher’ in my childhood neighborhood moved his family out of our neighborhood in the middle of the night, we were all relieved. As there were several ‘sightings’, complaints filed, nothing was ever done though. Authorities came knocking on doors a few years later asking questions, as the ‘flasher’ was now wanted for sex crimes committed against little girls. Let’s hope this idiot gets caught ‘with his pants down’ before he takes it any further!!!

  • Ercoparkrez September 10, 2013 (3:46 pm)

    Hope they catch this guy before he makes it to the next level!! What a creep!

  • Frag September 10, 2013 (3:55 pm)

    I’ll bet Holy Rosary will be extra vigilant out there and perhaps a refresher in the “stranger danger” training. SPD, get this guy!!!

  • w.s. maverick September 10, 2013 (3:59 pm)

    if he gets found by one of the parents he will get a holy beating.

  • D September 10, 2013 (4:10 pm)

    This sounds very similar (although much more frightening since it involved children) to an incident I had in 2011. See the old blog post here: https://westseattleblog.com/2011/09/west-seattle-crime-watch-man-pickup-to-watch-out-for

  • anonyme September 10, 2013 (4:10 pm)

    I remember mine as well. Weird.

    You’d think that, at the very least, all schools would have perimeter cameras as a security measure. The girls have learned an unfortunate but powerful lesson about approaching strange vehicles when beckoned by strangers, and I’ll bet a lot of parents will be renewing that conversation today. I hope they get the creep soon.

  • Chris W September 10, 2013 (4:13 pm)

    Wow, Diane. I never thought about it, but you are right. A girl never forgets. Mine was on Congress Ave in Austin TX. Rich balding man in a white convertible.

  • AH September 10, 2013 (4:25 pm)

    Unfortunately, I think it’s a common childhood experience for girls. I must have been lucky to make it to 6th grade before seeing a flasher at an amusement park.

  • kgdlg September 10, 2013 (4:43 pm)

    This was so common throughout my childhood! I can think of 3 or 4 instances off the top of my head. Always young-ish creepy white dudes (just like the perp reported here). I am not saying it is always this way, and is probably a reflection of where I grew up, but just my experience. Once when I was working in the library as a high schooler a flasher would roam the stacks pulling down his pants. They never caught him, to my knowledge.

  • Kelly McKinney September 10, 2013 (5:07 pm)

    I think that it is important to remind kids that it is best not approach a vehicle when someone they do not know asks to come closer.

  • ~~Hockeywitch~~ September 10, 2013 (5:16 pm)

    I sure HOPE their parents get all up in their faces about approaching a stranger. Not a cool way to learn a lesson. Glad a naked man is ALL they saw.. Could have turned out a lot worse. I hope this filthy scumbag is caught soon, so no one else has to have anything to do with him.

  • Heather September 10, 2013 (5:24 pm)

    Ugh. I remember mine as well. Some guy said he was lost and I walked closer to the car. The first time I’d ever seen a naked man, much less one touching himself…not a great introduction. It’s happened more than I’d like to recall.

  • Jeannine September 10, 2013 (6:39 pm)

    My first time, Lincoln Park, in Jr. high school. He was standing there in the park, in the middle of the park, while we were walking north, in a black raincoat, then just flashed me and my friend, and we ran, laughing and scared at the same time. I remember that every time I go to the park, always looking over my shoulder.

  • WTF September 10, 2013 (7:17 pm)

    What scares me the most about this is the fact these girls walked up to this car…especially after a grown man summoned them closer! I’m afraid next time this POS or another, won’t let the girls walk away!

    Parents PLEASE use this as a teachable moment. NEVER EVER approach a car of a person you do not know. EVER!

  • nop September 10, 2013 (7:45 pm)

    If I get flashed someone’s going to never flash kids again.

  • Duck Decoy Guy September 10, 2013 (8:45 pm)

    Just to be clear, there is a tall chain link fence between the playground and street with a wide planting strip area where the perps car was parked. The kids did not walk up next to an open car door. Thankfully our kids know better than that.

    Still this was disturbing. Catch that creep!

    Dad from the school.

  • Stranger Danger September 10, 2013 (8:54 pm)

    I think it’s important to express to our children not to approach someone they don’t know and I’m curious was there any supervision on the playground?
    As someone already expressed, I think a refresher course of “stranger danger” should be shared with the children and the importance of not approaching someone they don’t know that calls to them. Glad the girls were safe and the incident was reported.

  • Peeb September 10, 2013 (8:57 pm)

    Just read D’s comment…the same exact thing happened to me! Same white truck, same creepy guy, same time of day, same neighborhood (steep hill near Lowman Beach), same day of the week even! (Sunday.) This happened in July 2012 so he’s been at it a while. Yuck.

  • justme September 10, 2013 (8:58 pm)

    Seahurst Beach and a 70s yellow Nova for me. We need a support group. But really, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for this creep.

  • WS parent September 10, 2013 (9:19 pm)

    Horrible that so many of you have been visually violated as a child. I hope he is caught.

  • pjmanley September 10, 2013 (9:38 pm)

    I live right near where it happened. The playground is safe, secure, and usually well-monitored by adults. But it’s a chain-link fence, so Mr. Creepy could be seen by the kids. Thanks for reporting WSB. It explains the Q13 news van in front of my house.

    • WSB September 10, 2013 (9:58 pm)

      PJ – as linked in the story, we reported this yesterday as soon as the parents started forwarding us Holy Rosary’s e-mail alert. We also tried to get more info from police on Monday, but were unable to – until they published details to SPD Blotter this afternoon, where it hit regional-media radar. – TR

  • E September 10, 2013 (10:25 pm)

    I’m really curious if it’s a truck or an SUV. The SPD article mentioned both, but this little detail is very important. So which is it? Does anyone know? I’m asking because very recently we’ve had an issue with a man in a white truck driving around our neighborhood (South Seattle) doing something I don’t care to elaborate on and I’m wondering if it’s the same guy. The description of his build certainly fits.

  • another_anonymous September 10, 2013 (11:08 pm)

    The same thing happened to me when I was a teenager, but it was the locksmith I called after locking my keys in my car at the beach. I was traumatized. So disturbing that this happened to young children.

  • Chris W. September 10, 2013 (11:21 pm)

    Thank you for that perspective, Duck Decoy Dad Guy!

  • Peeb September 11, 2013 (7:20 am)

    E, is the white truck in South Seattle a small, older, Japanese pickup? That’s the one I saw near Lowman Beach and sounds like the same one D saw (she saw a Mazda, I don’t remember the make). Curious if this same guy is doing his creepy thing in South Seattle too. I remember him being older than 20s and possibly Latino.

  • E September 11, 2013 (9:10 am)

    @Peeb the truck I saw was a white Chevy Silverado with a black storage unit-type thing fitted in the back. The guy I saw appeared to be older than 20’s, too, but it’s difficult to tell for sure. For reference, this is the truck (SFW. Apologies if we’re not allowed to post photos in the comments):
    http://i.imgur.com/NS8g06J.jpg

  • Kristin September 11, 2013 (9:26 am)

    Had no idea that flashing was such an epidemic. Remember it like it was yesterday…. in the girls changing room at a Mervyn’s in Austin and there was a guy in the changing room next to me (remember, this was suppose to be a girls changing room). There was about 8″ or so space between the floor and where the wall/divider started. The guy was masturbating and doing so to ensure I saw him. I quickly left the changing room. I believe I was in 4th or 5th grade. Will never forget. Sick people!

  • Soccer Mom September 11, 2013 (12:59 pm)

    If this grandma sees that pervert anywhere near any school, he is going to be sorry.

  • Kadoo September 11, 2013 (5:17 pm)

    Mine was a spring morning in 1970 walking to high school with two friends. Will never forget.

  • Gea September 18, 2013 (6:17 pm)

    I heard about this. So creepy.
    Poor HRS students. They should have some kind of console meeting!

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