Girl Dips Into Dunkin' To Escape Man Following Her: Manchester Police

MANCHESTER, CT — A young girl escaped a man who was following her by fleeing into a local doughnut shop. Manchester police said.

The incident took place at the Dunkin' Donuts at 244 Center St., just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, police said.

A staff member at the Dunkin' told officers that an 11-year-old girl came into the establishment and said she was being followed by a man she did not know.

The man, identified as 36-year-old Israel Santiago-Ortiz, of Manchester, was then located near Center Street and New Street, police said. Investigators determined the girl was indeed followed by him as she was walking east on Center Street from the area of Cooper Street.

According to a police report, Santiago-Ortiz began offering the girl gum and continued to follow her even after she crossed the street. At one point, he asked her if he could take her someplace to buy clothes, according to a police report.

That's when the girl sought refuge at the Dunkin' Donuts, police said.

Santiago-Ortiz was taken into custody and charged with second-degree breach of peace and risk of injury to a minor.

It was also determined that two warrants had been issued for Santiago-Ortiz, police said. He was further charged with first-degree failure to appear in court and failure to appear in the second degree. Judicial system records show a re-arrest order was issued for him in August in a burglary and motor vehicle larceny case out of East Hartford, for which he skipped court once already.

He was being held Wednesday night on bonds totaling $31,000 and is slated to appear in Manchester Superior Court Thursday.