Police on the North Shore are warning parents about a serial flasher who has been exposing himself to children.
North and West Vancouver police said there have been five similar cases reported since the end of May. Two of those happened in North Vancouver and three occurred in West Vancouver.
All of them involved a man driving a newer model Nissan Rogue SUV who has stopped his vehicle and asked girls for directions, usually at times when the children were walking home from school.
When the girls – who were between 10 and 16 years old - approached the vehicle to speak with the driver, they saw that the man was exposing himself.
Fortunately, said police, in four cases, the girls quickly walked or ran away from the vehicle and the man drove away. In one case in West Vancouver, the girl refused to approach the vehicle.
Cpl. Richard De Jong, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP, said police are concerned.
The incidents have happened in various places around the North Shore, including several areas near to West Vancouver Secondary in West Vancouver and both in Lynn Valley and near to the downtown city area in North Vancouver.
De Jong said police are “most definitely concerned that (the man) could show up at any public place where children are known to be outdoors,” in the summer months.
“We’d very much like to locate and identify a suspect,” added Const. Jeff Palmer of the West Vancouver Police Department.
Based on the description of the driver and the car provided in each incident, police believe the children were approached by the same person.
Police are encouraging parents to have conversations about safety with their kids, advising them not to approach any driver they don’t know, and to report any suspicious activity.
The suspect in the incidents is described as being 40 to 50 years of age, olive skinned with a stocky build, and short black hair. He is described as driving a newer model Nissan Rogue SUV, grey in colour.
Police have issued a composite drawing of the suspect along with an appeal for anyone with any information that could assist investigators to contact either North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311 or West Vancouver police at 604-925-7300.
