Police: Man who made strange comment about Hawthorne girl meant no harm
A man who raised suspicions when he asked a strange question about a young girl walking home from a Hawthorne school meant no harm, police said Thursday.
The man, carrying a printout of a dailybreeze.com article, walked into the Hawthorne police station and said he was the subject of the story, Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani said.
The story detailed an incident Wednesday afternoon in which a man in a white van approached a woman at 135th Street and Isis Avenue and said, "I know this is a strange question, but isn't it weird for a small girl to be walking alone, how easily the girl could be abducted?"
The man, carrying a printout of a dailybreeze.com article, walked into the Hawthorne police station and said he was the subject of the story, Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani said.
The story detailed an incident Wednesday afternoon in which a man in a white van approached a woman at 135th Street and Isis Avenue and said, "I know this is a strange question, but isn't it weird for a small girl to be walking alone, how easily the girl could be abducted?"
The man, who appeared to be referring to a young girl walking home from
school, then drove away. The woman called police, fearful that the man
posed a threat.
The man, who was not identified, recognized the description in the article as himself. He drove a white van with Oregon plates and had two German shepherds in the van.
Tomatani said Hawthorne police questioned the man and are "confident he does not pose a threat to anybody."
The man made the statement to the parent after the thought came to his mind. Tomatani described him as "different."
The man, who was not identified, recognized the description in the article as himself. He drove a white van with Oregon plates and had two German shepherds in the van.
Tomatani said Hawthorne police questioned the man and are "confident he does not pose a threat to anybody."
The man made the statement to the parent after the thought came to his mind. Tomatani described him as "different."
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About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
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Meanwhile, the Hollyglen neighborhood is under siege by REAL criminals. Another attempted break-in today. Police just let the two suspects walk about a half hour ago. Let's see...that makes 11 or 12 in the last couple weeks??? Defend your neighborhoods, people. It's time for vigilante justice.
Wait, why isn't THIS "Breaking News" like the original story that didn't indicate this man did anything wrong? So easy to convict someone of wrong-doing, and NO proof they did anything wrong. Report the *facts*, not speculation.