Police looking for leads in flasher case

EAST PROVIDENCE — Police are still searching for a man who allegedly exposed himself to three female Martin Middle School students while they were walking home from school Tuesday afternoon.

East Providence Police Captain Walter Barlow said police have since reviewed their sex offender files, put out a statewide bulletin to all police departments and contacted television media outlets for help in the investigation.

"These guys can't help themselves," Capt. Barlow said. "I imagine he'll turn up soon."

Capt. Barlow said the incident happened around 2:15 p.m. when the 13 to 14-year-old girls were walking on Brown Street. There was no physical contact between the man and the girls.

One of the girls, 13-year-old Alexa Ferreira, told ABC 6 News reporter Kimberly Bookman that the man stood in a Brown Street driveway with his zipper undone, looking down at his private area, then up at the group in an attempt to make eye contact. She told Ms. Bookman the girls ran inside screaming and her uncle quickly ran outside with a metal pole but could not catch him.

"I was very afraid and really nervous. He has to pay for what he's done and realize that it's just not appropriate," she told Ms. Bookman.

Capt. Barlow described the man as a white male of Hispanic descent in his mid-30s. Reports say he has black hair, dark eyes and is of a medium build, between 5' 8" and six feet tall.

Capt. Barlow said the man had no visible tattoos, facial hair or scars and wore dark khakis and a dark-blue or black wind breaker. He said police are searching for a red vehicle, possibly a Ford Taurus.

After the incident, Capt. Barlow said, the school sent reverse 911 calls to parents and officers searched the area. He said officers had been concentrating on schools for the past week and uncharacteristically received several calls of suspicious people walking around schools' properties.

"There was nothing serious with those," he said. "We found a lot of dog walkers."

Police urge parents to discuss safety measures with their children and want anyone with any information to call the department at 435-7600.

By Jeremy Rosen

jrosen@eastbaynewspapers.com

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