Montgomery County 2nd District Police commander Capt. Dave Falcinelli today said there have been at least three incidents in the last week involving a Hispanic male approaching young girls in the Chevy Chase and Silver Spring area.
In one incident in Chevy Chase Village, a woman says the driver of a minivan got out of his car and walked toward her before she managed to run to a friend’s house.
Falcinelli sent out a public safety alert through the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center with police reports from the three incidents, two of which occurred near the D.C. line last Friday and on Tuesday and one which occurred in Silver Spring, near Chevy Chase and East-West Highway:
Police information: 4420 South Park Avenue. On Tuesday 2/19 at approximately 4:00 p.m., the 13 year old female was walking when she noted a small maroon SUV drive by several times. The driver eventually pulled alongside the victim and began asking her questions (how are you, whats your name etc.). The victim was able to run to a store on Wisconsin Avenue and contact a parent.
Suspect: H/M, late 30searly 40s, short black hair
Vehicle: Small maroon SUV, black trim on bottom of doors.
Police information: 2442 Ross Road. On Friday 2/15 at approximately 4:30 p.m., the H/M suspect in his 40s approached a group of young girls playing outside and began making inappropriate comments about their bodies. He asked at least one if she wanted to go with him, however that girl was able to run to her friends. One victim stated that she had seen the suspect in the area on more than one occasion.
The third incident comes from an urgent alert from the Chevy Chase Village police:
Suspicious Hispanic Male in the 5500 Block of Kirkside Drive
On Tuesday evening (Feb. 19) at 7:00 p.m., a young woman who works in the Village reported to police that, as she walked south on Kirkside Drive near the intersection with Grove Street, she noticed that a light blue or grey minivan was driving very slowly behind her. The minivan was also southbound on Kirkside, but the van crept slowly as it kept pace with her. At one point, the driver shone a flashlight at the woman. As the woman pulled out her cell phone to take a photo of the vehicle, the driver got out of the minivan and walked briskly directly toward the woman. Instinctively, she ran to a nearby friends house and went inside. The friend also saw the man, and he soon returned to the van and drove off. Village police were on the scene very quickly, but the van had already driven off. The vehicle is possibly a light blue or gray older Honda minivan described as beat up.
The suspect is described as follows:
Hispanic male, 25-30 years old. Short buzzed haircut, no facial hair. Wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt (unknown color shirt).
The victim also reported that over the preceding couple of weeks, she had noticed a white panel van driving slowly behind her in that same section of Kirkside, however yesterdays event was the only one in which she was approached.
Falcinelli asked residents to call 911 (emergency) or 301-279-8000 for a non-emergency immediately if they observe anything suspicious.
