Driver exposes himself to teen girl walking near school

PALO ALTO » A man exposed himself to a 14-year- old girl walking her dog Monday afternoon near Stanford Middle School, according to Palo Alto police.

At roughly 12:30 p. m., the girl was approached by a man inside a vehicle in the 300 block of East Meadow Drive who pulled up alongside her and asked for directions, according to a police news release. The girl saw that his pants were down to his knees, exposing his genitals. She quickly walked away and called her mother, stating later that she thought the driver might have followed her after the incident.

Police did not have a complete description or sketch of the man, but he was described as between 35 and 45 years old with a heavy build. The girl described the vehicle, which was last seen traveling eastbound on East Meadow Drive, as a light brown or faded gold four- door, older sedan that looked messy inside.

Detectives are actively investigating the case, but according to police the incident does not appear related to similar cases from earlier this year. Police advise parents to remind children to remain alert no matter where they are and tell a trusted adult immediately about anything they see that does not seem quite right.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Palo Alto Police Department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650- 3292413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@ tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department’s free mobile app, downloadable at www.bit.ly/ PAPD-AppStore or www.bit.ly/PAPDGooglePlay.