Girls Report Strangers Grabbing, Following Them: Cambridge Police

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Two young girls reported they were approached, and grabbed by a stranger while walking home Wednesday and days before that another young woman reported someone followed her home. Now, police are asking for help finding the men the girls reported and are asking residents to be aware of their surroundings when walking home.

Wednesday night, two sisters under the age of 14 were walking home together at approximately 5:30 p.m. when they were approached by a man they had not seen before in the area of Pleasant Street and Auburn Street, according to police.

The man asked for directions and then grabbed one of the sisters by the arm. He then proceeded to take the sisters down several streets and then stopped at what police believed was Salem Street.

He asked the sisters if they wanted to go down an alley with him, and when the sisters said no, the man told them he was sorry, and let go of the girl. The girls ran off. They described the man to police as black, in his 40s or 50s, and about 5’8” and as wearing a black jacket and beanie hat. The girls told police he smelled like alcohol.

Separately, a mother of a 17-year-old daughter, reported that on Feb. 3 a man followed her daughter home from Central Square. The mother told police the same man attempted to approach her daughter a year ago at her work and while she was walking home from school. She described him as a white or light-skinned, with a noticeable scar on his head, which was bald. Police said he drives a black car.

The Cambridge Police said as they investigate both events, they're deploying extra patrols and a non-uniformed presence to the areas where it took place. So far, police have not been able to get any relevant surveillance footage of either event.

Police are asking that anyone with information related to the events to call Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300 or 617-349-3359 and leave a message.

In January, following the gruesome murder of a man at Danehy Park, Cambridge Police tried to calm residents by noting that violent crime is relatively rare in the city. The commissioner also noted the vast majority of violent crime that does happen, happens at the hands of someone the victim knows.

The Department of Justice published a report that confirms the rarity of stranger violent crimes across the country.

Still, police recommend parents check out the National Crime Prevention Council tips on talking to children about strangers:

• Explain to your child that a stranger is anyone who your family doesn’t know well. It is common for children to think that “bad strangers” look scary, which is not only untrue, but dangerous for children to think this way. Tell your child that no one can tell if strangers are nice or not nice just by looking at them, and they should be careful around all people they don’t know.
• Don’t make it seem like all strangers are bad. Teach your child about safe strangers and adults they can trust — police officers, firefighters, teachers, principals and librarians. Also show your child places they can go if they need help, such as local stores, restaurants and the homes of family friends in your neighborhood.
• Teach your child to be wary of potentially dangerous situations and the warning signs of suspicious behavior, like when an adult asks them to disobey their parents or do something without their permission, asks them to keep a secret, asks children for help, or makes them feel uncomfortable in any way.
• Talk to your children about how they should handle potentially dangerous situations. You can use the “No, Go, Yell, Tell,” saying, which teaches children to say no, run away, yell as loud as they can, and tell a trusted adult what happened right away if they feel threatened by a stranger.

In addition to teaching children how to recognize and handle dangerous situations and strangers, there are other things that parents can do to help their children stay safe:

• Know where your children are at all times. Make it a rule that children must ask permission or check in with you before going anywhere. Give your children both your work and cell phone numbers so they can reach you at all times.
• Point out safe places. Show your children safe places to play, safe roads and paths to take and safe places to go if there’s trouble.
• Teach children to trust their instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. Tell them that sometimes adults they know may make them feel uncomfortable, and they should still get away and tell another adult what happened. Reassure your child that you will always help them when they need it.
• Teach your children to be assertive. Make sure they know that it’s okay to say no to an adult and to run away from adults in dangerous situations.
• Encourage your children to play with others. There is safety in numbers.

For more resources and information about talking to your children about strangers, visit the National Crime Prevention Council website.

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Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff