Man arrested for lewd conduct near West Seattle school
Oct 25, 2013, 10:54 AM | Updated: 2:59 pm
Seattle police say a man was arrested for lewd conduct after a 17-year-old girl saw him touching himself on her way to school.
The man was seen masturbating in a dark, blue minivan in the 2400 Block of SW Thistle Street, near Chief Sealth High School.
Police say she ran to school and reported what she saw to the principal’s office.
The suspect was positively identified and then taken to the Southwest Precinct where he is being interviewed by detectives. Police say he will later be booked into the King County Jail.
Seattle police Detective Mark Jamieson says police don’t know if the suspect is connected to several reports of a flasher or flashers exposing themselves to kids outside West Seattle schools Tuesday. But he says the incidents are similar.
“It’s always a man, he’s always doing some lewd act near a school.”
The first incident was reported at Westside School where several students were confronted by the suspect who pulled up in a black sedan, got out of the car and exposed himself to the kids. Police say he then got back in the car and drove southbound on 34th Avenue SW.
The second incident was reported a few blocks from Madison Middle School. Police say a 13-year-old girl was walking home from school when she observed a man masturbating in his car and watching other children.
According to police, it’s not known if the man arrested Friday morning is connected with the previous incidents near other West Seattle schools.
On Thursday, police investigated a report of a possible child abduction near Gatewood Elementary School. A child reported seeing a man throw another child into a pickup truck at a home near the school.
Police have not been able to confirm the report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
