Palo Alto police are searching for a man who allegedly pulled up in a car next to two middle school students Thursday evening and made inappropriate comments while trying to get them to come closer to his car.
Two 12-year-old children, one girl and one boy, were walking together on the 2200 block of Middlefield Road near Jordan Middle School when the man drove up next to them and tried to get them to come over to his car, police said. The children ignored him and kept walking, and the man drove away.
But when the students reached the intersection of North California Avenue and Newell Road, the same man again pulled up next to them and starting talking to them while staying in his car. Police said he repeatedly told the girl that she was “beautiful,” asked if she was dating the boy and if they were going to get married. He again tried to get them to come closer to the car but the children “stayed a safe distance away,” police said in a press release. The man stayed in his car and did not make any threats against the children, eventually driving away.
The boy and girl immediately called a parent to come pick them up, and a parent later notified police about what happened. Officers responded to the area, but the man was gone.
The students described the man, who remains at large, as a white man in his late 20s or early 30s with “dirty blonde” hair worn in a buzz cut, police said. He had a slim build, was unshaven and was wearing a white buttoned shirt. He was driving a newer model white car with four doors, possibly a sedan or hatchback, according to police.
No sketch of the man is available at this time, but if one is produced, the police department will release it as soon as it is available.
Patrol officers are monitoring common school commute routes used by students, the police department noted in its release.
Detectives are also investigating to determine if this incident may be connected to one that occurred last Friday, Aug. 21. A man was observed acting suspiciously after repeatedly driving past an 11-year-old girl in the 3800 block of Louis Road. While the description of the man from this week’s incident is vaguely similar, the vehicle description is not.
Police continue to ask for the public’s help with reporting suspicious activity immediately via 911. They also advise parents to remind children to remain alert no matter where they are, and to tell a trusted adult immediately about anything they see that doesn’t seem right.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the police department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984.
Bravo to the kids for keeping safe and calling their parents right away.
These incidents seem to happen mostly in evening or early morning hours. I am all for kids walking and biking to school during the usual commute times, but sadly it seems not so safe for kids to be on the streets off-hours. I wish the world were a better place, but until it is, take extra precautions.
The kiddie pervs sure look forward to school re-opening 🙁 I hope that there will be more local police patrols near schools in all of our local communities to prevent this trolling.
Someone on Middlefield has to have a camera that is capturing cars going by. You wouldn’t get a license plate, but you get something more descriptive than “white car” “sedan or hatchback”.
Anon – school being back in session seems to really bring out the perverts. I’m hoping that police patrols at local schools are stepped up. Isn’t this the 2nd incident this week of someone focusing on kids?
It’s important that children walk in groups of two or more if at all possible. And try to get all or a portion of the license number.