San Diego

15-Year-Old Followed, Harassed While Leaving School in Black Mountain Ranch

The man pulled his truck up beside the teen and asked if she'd like a ride home

A 15-year-old girl was followed and harassed by an older man while walking home from school in the Black Mountain Ranch neighborhood of San Diego, confirmed deputies.

The man asked her if she'd like a ride and waved at a seat in his truck on Wednesday afternoon, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. She said no and started calling her dad, prompting the suspect to take off.

She told deputies that she was walking home with a friend from Del Norte High School just before 3:30 p.m. near Camino Del Norte and Lone Quail Road. Once the friend was picked up by her parents, the other student kept walking home by herself.

Suddenly, she heard a man whistling at her. She spun around and spotted a man following her in his pickup truck. She ignored him and kept walking.

But he kept whistling and pulled his truck right up beside her, the student told deputies. That's when he started offering her rides home and she turned him down.

The student and her father reported the incident to sheriff's deputies just after 5 p.m. that same day.

The student described the driver as an older man between 40 and 50 years old, with short blackish, gray hair. He was driving an orange, older model pickup truck. The truck was small with a square-shaped front end.

She noticed tools and what appeared to be artificial turf in the truck bed, deputies said.

According to the Sheriff's Department, an investigation is underway. Currently, the case appears to be an isolated incident. Deputies will conduct extra patrols around nearby schools as a precaution. Anyone with information related to this case can call deputies at (858)521-5200.

Deputies reminded the public to be alert at all times when out for a walk. They recommended being alert and aware of your surroundings, walking with a buddy and reporting anything suspicious to the authorities.

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