Arcata Police Department release:

 

On Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 12:58 PM, Arcata Police Department Officers responded to Healthsport, 300 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, on a report of an adult male attempting to reach for a juvenile female and then making a lewd gesture towards her.  The 9-year-old female survivor was roller skating in the parking lot on the west side of Healthsport when a White male adult approached her and extended his arms out as if to reach for the survivor.  The suspect then made a lewd gesture towards the survivor before the survivor was able to skate to safety and notify her parents.  The suspect was described as a White male adult with a black beard and black hair wearing unknown colored shorts.  The suspect was last seen walking westbound on 7th Street.

At approximately 4 PM the same day, at the intersection of Samoa Boulevard and G Street, a male matching the same description was walking Northbound in the crosswalk across Samoa Boulevard and made a lewd gesture toward an adult female who was seated in a vehicle stopped in traffic.  Investigators believe this male is possibly the same suspect who reached for the 9 year old survivor earlier that day.    

This is an active investigation. The Arcata Police Department is asking any member of the public who witnessed either incident, has information related to either incident or believes they were targeted by this suspect in a similar manner to call the APD at (707) 825-2512 or (707) 822-2424.  The Arcata Police Department is also requesting that members of the public continue to be vigilant in safeguarding their own personal safety.