Ventura County – Living in a quiet residential community—where young teens of high school age commonly walk, bike, or skateboard their way to school in the mornings without the embarrassment of doting parents observing their every move—should provide a modicum of confidence in the safety of kids and adults alike.
That, however, is not always the case, as evidenced by circumstances initially reported to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Moorpark Investigations Unit on the morning of February 27th, when a 15-year old Moorpark teen arrived at school and promptly notified the School Resource Deputy that she had been approached by an unknown man while she was walking to campus.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. John Wright, it was at approximately 7:20 a.m. when “a male subject, not known to the female student, stopped and offered to give her a ride to school in his car.” Wisely, the girl declined this overture, whereupon the car drove off.
In following up on her report, Detectives of the Moorpark Investigations Unit learned that she had seen the same man on multiple occasions cruising the same route at the same time of day, and that she “had not previously reported these observations” to any school officials or her parents. Pursuant to the February 27th incident report, authorities then quietly implemented “heightened surveillance” of the neighborhood area surrounding the high school.
Keeping this increased law enforcement presence below the level of campus or community awareness, on March 5th Detectives identified Elmer Gutierrez, a 45-year old Oxnard resident, as the suspect of the report made two weeks prior. Gutierrez was discovered cruising the incident area once again on that date, whereupon he was placed under arrest for misdemeanor child annoying.
“There appear to be no other incidents” involving Gutierrez, Wright reported, but Moorpark Police continue to seek additional evidence in the case and remind the public “to report suspicious behavior by calling (805) 654-9511.”
Photo: http://www.shouselaw.com/annoying-molesting-child.html#1.1
