Students, Parents Beware in Sylmar Man Exposes Himself to Two Young Girls NR12378pv/rf

Los Angeles:  LAPD detectives are investigating reports of a man who exposed himself to two girls who were sisters taking an evening walk around the Sylmar Leadership Academy.

“None of the girls were harmed and the man had no physical contact with them,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Mission Detective Division.  “In fact, the girls did exactly right; they were suspicious of the man’s presence, refused to approach him when he beckoned them, and they reported what happened to their mother.”

The incident happened on August 5, 2012, around 7 p.m., while an 11-year-old girl was walking around the school with her 10-year-old sister.  The girls noticed a black or dark-blue, older-model Jeep circle the block several times.  “The girls got suspicious, which shows they were paying attention to their surroundings,” Vernon explained.

After the third or fourth pass, the driver, a white man in his 20s, stopped and called the girls over to his car.  When the girls refused to approach, the driver exposed himself.  The sisters ran home to report the incident to their mom, who called police.  Officers checked nearby Sylmar Park where some bystanders in the neighborhood thought the suspect might hang out, but he was not there.

The girls thought the Jeep was an older model with a hard top.  The suspect had dark hair and was wearing a light-green shirt and dark-green shorts.

Detectives have asked the girls to sit down with a forensic artist to sketch the suspect’s image.  That sketch will be released once it is complete.

The Sylmar Leadership Academy was closed at the time of the incident.  School police were notified of the incident.  Detectives are searching local sex registrant rolls to see if any registrant matches the suspect’s description.

“Kudos to the girls for how they handled themselves, and kudos to their mom for training them to be aware of their surroundings,” Vernon added.

Anyone with information on this crime is urged to call LAPD Mission Detectives, at 818-838-9971. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Online tips may be placed at www.LAPDOnline.org by clicking on “webtips” and following the prompts.