UPDATE: Palo Alto police released a sketch of the man Tuesday evening.
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Palo Alto police are looking for a man they said exposed himself to a 7-year-old girl playing at an elementary school during lunchtime on Monday, April 11, according to a police department press release.
The incident happened at Ohlone Elementary School, located at 950 Amarillo Ave., at around noon but wasn’t reported to police until 6:15 p.m., police said.
Investigators said the girl was playing on campus during lunch and when she ran around the back side of a classroom on the west edge of the school, she saw a man standing on the other side of a chain-link fence separating the school from the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, at 2751 Louis Road, watching the children play.
The man made eye contact with the girl, police said. The girl told police that the man’s pants were unbuttoned. Police said based on the victim’s description of the man’s actions, they believe he was masturbating. The man did not say anything to the girl, police added.
Police do not know if any other children saw the man or his alleged actions. The girl told her parents what she had seen when they picked her up from school and they later called police.
The man is described as a Hispanic male in his late 30s or early 40s with a thin build. He was unshaven and had a goatee. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans and blue and gray tennis shoes.
Police are investigating to see if this incident is connected to any other cases in Palo Alto or surrounding communities and are increasing patrols around elementary schools.
Police advise the public to report suspicious activity by calling 911. Parents should remind children to remain alert at all times and to tell a trusted adult about anything they see that does not seem right, police said.
Police are asking that anyone with information about this incident call the department’s dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.
As a student at Palo Alto High School i find this post TRIGGERING. Please remove it to save our students.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/
Are you kidding me? Who is running operations at this school? Clearly not a person or persons who is aware of predators!!! First an accused molester and now a flasher?
And did they talk to the children about this? NO. The way in which this incident and the previous one was handled is absolutely inexcusable!
The administration at this school needs an overhaul or at the least a lesson in public relations and communication!
Oh Harry, did this awful news give you the vapours?? Did it offend your fragile sensibilities? Grow up
My only comment here is the headline seems to be wrong. From reading the article, this man did not expose himself, rather the girl came across someone who was masturbating. It seems to me that although there was something to be concerned about going on, it may not be as predatory as the headline suggests.
@Are you kidding? A mentally ill person masturbates off school property and you blame the administration? This could happen at any of our schools. Addison has had similar issues. And do you know what’s happening today at Ohlone? Do you know how it’s being handled? Please calm down, and be a rational thinker.