SMPD: Three Reports of Suspicious Men Near School Campuses

San Mateo police said Friday they are investigating a total of three reports of a suspicious man who was soliciting young women in the area of school campuses within the city.

The most recent occurred Thursday night, and police responded to a report of a suspicious person at 6:15 p.m. at the San Mateo Adult School, located at 789 E. Poplar Ave.

Police received two reports this week of a suspicious person outside San Mateo High School at 8 a.m. on Monday and 9 a.m. on Nov. 6.

In Thursday’s incident, a 19-year-old female student stepped outside into the parking lot at the San Mateo Adult School when a man in a nearby parked vehicle got out of the car and approached her, police said.

The man greeted the student and complimented her on her appearance. The woman reportedly ignored him and then he offered her money to leave with him, police said.

The woman ignored him again and he repeated his request, but she continued to ignore him and then walked back into the school. Police said she reported the incident roughly two hours later.

Police described the man as a Filipino or Asian man, about 30 years old with a medium build and short or spiked hair. He was seen driving a dark blue or black sedan.

On Wednesday, police responded to a report of a suspicious person on West Delaware Street near San Mateo High School. In that incident, police said a man parked in a vehicle called out to a 16-year-old female student who was walking on the opposite side of the street and said, “Good morning, can I ask you a question?”

The student ignored the man, who repeated his request and urged her to come closer to his vehicle, police said. The teenager walked into the school instead.

Police described the man as a light-skinned, adult Asian male, roughly 35-40 years old, bald with some hair on the sides, driving a silver four-door hatchback.

On Thursday, police received their second report of a suspicious person seen near San Mateo High School a week prior on Nov. 6. Police said a separate 16-year-old female student parked her car on North Eldorado Street just south of the high school.

She told police she saw a suspicious man in a car looking at her, police said. The man drove off briefly and seemed to circle the block, returning moments later to stop alongside the teen as she got out of her car, police said.

The man reportedly tried to speak to the student and ask her questions, but she ignored him and the man drove away, police said.

Police described the man as a Filipino in his mid-40s, who is bald and was driving a white or light-colored four-door sedan.

San Mateo police Sgt. Rick Decker said the department is treating the reports as separate incidents, but the “descriptions are similar enough” that they believe they are related.

“Each of these three incidents is being investigated to the full extent and there are enough similarities in the three descriptions to believe it may be the same suspect,” police said in an emailed statement. “That being said, this investigation is the top priority for your San Mateo PoliceDepartment to ensure the safety and security of all our school campuses and their students. We continue to work with the school district in a collaborative effort to achieve that goal.”

Police have stepped up patrols in the area and are using “different means” to try to identify the person, Decker said.

“We’re taking steps to keep all the school campuses in town safe,” Decker said. “I can’t get into specifics, but stepped up patrols in the area is a priority for us.”

Community members should report any suspicious activity to police right away via 911 or by calling (650) 522-7700. Anyone with information on this incident or other active investigations should call (650) 522-7650. Anonymous calls can be made by calling (650) 522-7676 or by texting (650) 262-3473.

“Now would be an excellent time to review with the children or young adults in your life how to protect themselves during incidents like these,” police said.

Here’s some advice for parents or guardians to give from the police department:

• Look, listen, stay safe. Be aware of your surroundings when walking in public. Avoid distractions while walking such as books or electronics.
• Whenever possible use the buddy system. Urge your children to walk with a friend or friends. There’s safety in numbers.
• Watch out for strangers in cars. Watch for cars that follow you. NEVER approach a stranger in a car for ANY reason.
• If a stranger talks to you from a car or asks a question, ignore them, and walk or even run away.
• Yell and Tell. If a stranger makes you uncomfortable or scares you, YELL and run away. Find someone you trust and TELL them what happened.
• Trust your instincts. Only you get to decide when you’re uncomfortable or scared. Don’t be afraid to tell a stranger “No”, ignore them, or just run away!

(Image via Shutterstock)

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report.