Man Suspected of Harassing 13-Year-Old Girl

This past Tuesday, said a spokesperson with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, a 13-year-old girl reported being harassed by an older man while on her way home from Goleta Valley Junior High (GVHS).

The girl was walking home from school at around 2 p.m. when the suspect pulled up and offered her a ride home in his car. The girl refused, and the man started to leave before coming back and demanding she get into the car with him. Immediately, the girl ran back to GVHS, where the incident was reported to law enforcement by school administrators, said the spokesperson.

The suspect has been described as a white male in his sixties or seventies with medium-length white hair and white facial stubble that appeared to be a few days old; his car was reported as an unmarked, dark-colored, older compact car. He was also reported as wearing a red baseball cap.

The Sheriff’s Department has increased deputy presence in the Stow Canyon Road area, where the incident reportedly took place. Anyone with information should call detectives at (805) 681-4150 or the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171.