Police Searching For Sex Offender Who Approached Children: Report

WHITEFISH BAY, WI — It's been a little more than a week, and authorities in Whitefish Bay are continuing to search for a registered sex offender accused of approaching children in Klode Park and later evading police at a nearby beach.

Whitefish Bay police are asking the public to be on the lookout for Raymond Hoelzer, 56, of Milwaukee, and to call 911 if they see him. Authorities in Whitefish Bay now have a warrant out for his arrest, on a charge of failing to comply with the conditions of being on the State's Sex Offender Registry. That charge carries a maximum time behind bars of three years in addition to any other incarceration time or fines he may incur.

Hoelzer was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a child in 1995.

"Between July 24 and today we have been interviewing people who are known to Raymond Hoelzer," Whitefish Bay Police said in a statement Thursday. "Through these interviews we were able to gain proof that he was not abiding by the requirements of the State of Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry."

According to information released by police on July 24, Hoelzer was reportedly in violation of village Sex Offender ordinances, which prevent registered sex offenders may not be near parks and schools.

Police said Hoelzer approached two children on a sidewalk near Klode park, asking them to look at a supposed Disney character image on his phone on Wednesday. One of the children felt uncomfortable, and dialed 911 on her cell phone right before he walked away towards Klode Park.

Police say a Whitefish Bay police officer, unaware of what just happened, later saw Hoelzer standing in the men's restroom at Klode Park. According to police, Hoelzer left Klode park once he saw the officer, and then left a nearby beach when he saw the officer a second time.

When the officer caught up with him, police say Hoelzer simply told the officer he was off from work enjoying the good weather, before leaving the area

A short time later officers saw Hoelzer walk back and forth in front of Richards School. One of the officers did some investigating and discovered that he was is a registered sex offender with the State of Wisconsin.