Police say they've arrested the man who's been creepily harassing teen women as they walked outside San Mateo High School. But the students of San Mateo shouldn't relax yet, as another man with the same MO is still on the loose.
On Thursday, on November 6 at about 9 a.m., a 16-year-old female student had just parked her car on North Eldorado Street just south of San Mateo High School when she saw a suspicious man in a car looking at her, San Mateo Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Rick Decker says. The man circled the block, the teen said, then pulled up next to the girl as she got out of her car, asking, the Ex reports, "what's up?" Decker says that the woman continued to ignore the man, and he drove away.
Then on Monday at around 8 a.m., Decker says that a man in a parked car called to a different 16-year-old female student from the other side of the street, posing that query women love so much: "can I ask you a question?" She, too, ignored the man and headed into school, but he was undeterred and asked her again, attempting to lure her closer to his car.
As a result, San Mateo police stepped up patrols in the area and were using "different means" to nab the creepy man. And those results apparently paid off, as KTVU reports today that police believe that they caught the man during a "plain-clothes operation" Thursday.
According to the Ex, Gary Fong, a 36-year-old man from San Francisco was pulled over at 9:30 a.m. Thursday "and was positively identified as being the suspect" in the two harassment cases. He was was booked on misdemeanor charges of child annoyance and lurking on or about a school campus.
But while police say they got their man, there's apparently yet another parking lot harasser at work.
In this case, at 6:15 p.m. Thursday a 19-year-old student at he San Mateo Adult School was approached by a man as she entered the school's parking lot. She said he got out of a parked, car, walked toward her, and complimented her on her appearance.
The woman says she attempted to ignore him, as he then repeatedly offered her money to leave with him. She reported the incident to police two hours later.
Police anyone, especially other women who might have been approached and haven't reported it yet, to call (650) 522-7650. Anonymous calls can be made by calling (650) 522-7676 or by texting (650) 262-3473.