Recently, a suspicious male driving a small black 4-door
sedan approached a teenage female walking in the Qualicum neighbourhood (near
the Queensway Carlton Hospital). The male is described as non-white, late
twenties, 6 feet tall with a small ‘scruff’ of facial hair, wearing all black
clothing.
The male exited the car (left the car running) and
approached the female teen to inquire if she needed a ride anywhere. When she
declined, the male continued to approach and asked, “Well, can you at least
stop and stay and talk to me for a few minutes?” Seeing a man walking his dog ahead, the girl caught up to
the dog walker, and began to walk with him. At that point, the suspicious male
returned to his car and drove away.
When this incident was reported to police, they indicated
that encounters of this type have been on the rise in the west end of Ottawa
recently. Police recommend that all teens program the direct line to Ottawa Police
dispatch – (613) 230-6211 – into
their cell phones. If an incident
does occur, teens should call the police right away while they are walking
away. In addition to walking/running away quickly, police suggest that individuals
also make a loud and big scene to garner attention and scare off the
individual.
