Searching for man who touched himself in front of girl in Golden Gate

The search is on for a man accused of exposing himself to a girl as she walked to school in Collier County. It happened Tuesday at the Tropicana Boulevard and 30th Place Southwest intersection in Golden Gate.

Neighbors said that not only do many kids live in the neighborhood near Tropicana Blvd., but also, many of the kids walk to and from school. So they are on the alert because the mere thought of this happening again terrifies them.

“This guy. Find him. Man. It’s… scary,” Mandy Dunn said.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him, but if they do, I hope they get him,” Daniela Ramirez said.

“If I see this guy I will definitely call in an alert,” Mackenson Timothy said.

“They’re gonna get you soon. Yeah, stay out,” Mackenson said.

The sketch of the suspect’s face is one that neighbors said they won’t forget until he’s caught by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

“Keeping these eyes open,” Dunn said.

“He’s gonna be caught eventually,” Timothy said.

Detectives believe the suspect stopped near a girl while she walked to school along Tropicana Blvd. and Golden Gate on Tuesday morning. The suspect then stared at the girl and began masturbating.

“Disturbing, honestly, because I got nieces,” Ramirez said.

“Freaky,” Timothy said.

“you can’t just even be in your own neighborhood and feel comfortable or, you know, feel safe sending a loved one out or have them be out and about,” Dunn said. “Makes me uneasy.”

The lack of suspects has left neighbors unsettled, to say the least. And kids still have to walk to and from school.

“I mean, there’s constantly children, there’s so many schools around this area. And just to think that person could still be wandering around or lurking is not good,” Dunn said.

“I can imagine a kid is walking by themselves and you know, some guy a stranger pulls up …. Gosh I can only imagine how that child must have felt,” Timothy said.

That’s why on Thursday the Collier County Sheriff’s Office sent extra deputies to patrol the area as students left school.

“They are aware and being vigilant as kids are coming and released from schools,” a Collier County Sergeant said.

The sheriff’s office said another reason for the extra patrols is that this is the second time in April something like this has happened. Previously a man stopped a girl, similarly on Tropicana Blvd., two different times as she walked to school. He exposed himself and asked her if she wanted to buy a bracelet.

But investigators said that suspect was in his 40s and had black hair, facial hair, and was about 5 foot 8 inches tall.