Authorities are asking for help in tracking down a man who is suspected of exposing himself to two young girls.
On September 27, police responded to a home near Eleventh and Dunlap avenues where witnesses said a man jumped a wall into the backyard and exposed himself to two girls, ages seven and five.
A police spokesman said the suspect hugged one of the victims before heading back over the wall and left the area on a bicycle.
Rage filled the girls’ mother, Kyndle Cottrell, after she saw surveillance video of the suspect enter and leave the area of their home. The man had to jump two walls to reach the Cottrells' backyard, which can't be accessed from an alley, Cottrell said.
Cottrell baked cookies and sent her daughters into the backyard to eat them, which is when the suspect jumped the fence, Cottrell said.
The suspect apparently spent 40 minutes with the girls, Cottrell and her husband, Drew, said.
The parents thought their walled-in backyard was a safe space for their children, they said.
"He obviously is very bold, and I'm afraid for other children," Cottrell said.
A neighbor saw suspect in the area again Thursday, Cottrell said.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s and between 5' 11" and 6' 0" tall with a thin build. He was wearing a baseball cap and carrying a backpack at the time of the incident, police said.
Police are asking for help in identifying the man. Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. Those providing information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
