Two women were exposed to a suspect's indecent act at the College of New Caledonia on Monday.
One witness was 23, the other 27, and both were indirectly targeted by a masturbating man who stationed himself in a washroom, but with the door open.
"The female student was walking past a men's washroom in the main building and saw a man masturbating inside the entrance," said Cpl. Craig Douglass, spokesman for the Prince George RCMP. The identities of the victims were not disclosed. For the purposes of this story they will be referred to by their ages.
"It was 23 who saw it first," said Douglass. "She was walking by the men's washroom and saw what she called 'a disgusting act.' A few minutes later she came across 27, and they are familiar with each other so 23 told her about what just happened and 27 told her 'go tell security, I have to do a quick errand and I'll catch up with you in a minute.' On the way back, 27 walked past a different bathroom in a different part of the building and she a movement out of the corner of her eye draws her attention. She sees a fellow with his pants down to his ankles masturbating, just as 23 had seen."
Security was advised of both cases. They were seen on the same floor of the same building but in different washrooms. The incidents happened at about 10:30 a.m. within about 15 minutes of each other.
Based on the description of the suspect, security guards recalled seeing the man departing the building out the west entrance to the college.
Police records show about a half-dozen separate incidents of indecent exposure around the city in recent months, but none that fit this modus operandi or resemble this suspect.
He is described as being a 40- to 55-year-old Caucasian, well over six feet tall, with a slender build, short "salt and pepper" hair and wearing a Windriver jacket with a beige fur lining and rim around the hood.
"In both cases the suspect saw the women and did not make attempts to hide the act," Douglass said. "No physical contact occurred or words exchanged in either incident. He saw the girls observing him, he just stopped and turned towards them as if to be deliberately seen."
If you have any information about these Indecent Acts or who may be responsible, please contact the Prince George RCMP at (250)561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800)222-TIPS (8477), online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca, or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES using keyword "pgtips".
WHY SO LONG?
When two women were exposed to the indecent acts of an anonymous masturbator at the College of New Caledonia, it was four hours later before CNC security advised the RCMP it had happened. Police spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass said that time kind of time lapse can compromise an investigation.
CNC spokesman Randall Heidt said he was not yet aware of why security staff waited so long, but it was not out of indifference.
"What our security staff was doing was trying to obtain, as best they could, an image of the suspect from our surveillance cameras," he explained. "We have several cameras and they were checking through the footage so they could provide the best information possible. I'm not sure about the details of when contact was made with the RCMP, just that they were trying to help the police have the best information to act on."
According to Douglass, the security cameras' images "were not of sufficient quality to help identify this particular suspect."
Heidt said the search of footage was not yet complete, but the cameras did indeed show the suspect. It was a matter of trying to find an image that might allow for police or public identification, and ideally something that might stand up in court.
The incident did provide some instruction for CNC officials, said Heidt, about shortcomings in their surveillance system. The system on the whole would be evaluated with this event in mind, he said, and improvements made if possible.
Heidt expressed concern for the two victims and gratitude that nothing physical happened or any threats leveled at the two unwilling witnesses.
Douglass said "CNC is a busy public place and they can't help who walks into their washrooms." He urged anyone who might have information about this suspect to contact police as soon as possible, and for the public to be vigilant in case the suspect acts out again in this manner.
