Nanaimo RCMP issue warning after indecent exposure incident on hiking trail
Lights on a police cruiser are pictured in this file photo.
Mounties in Nanaimo are warning the public after an indecent exposure incident on a local trail Tuesday.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. on the Cable Bay Trail, which is located off of Holden Corso Road in the community of Cedar.
Responding officers met with a 49-year-old woman "who appeared shaken by the ordeal," Nanaimo RCMP said in a news release Wednesday.
"While walking towards Dodds Narrows, she saw an adult man crouched down in some nearby bushes with his pants down," the release reads. "He quickly stood up and at that time she noticed that he was committing an indecent act. She backed away and walked as fast as she could back to her car and called the police."
Officers conducted patrols in the area, but were unable to find the suspect, police said.
The woman described the suspect as a clean-shaven Hispanic man in his 40s with long, dark hair that was tied back in a ponytail and had some grey on the side, according to police. They added the suspect was "heavy set" and was wearing a long-sleeved, faded plaid button-up shirt and blue jeans.
He also had "an approximately 1.5-inch red scar, possibly a birthmark, on the front of his right thigh," police said.
"There are dozens of excellent trails scattered throughout Nanaimo and surrounding areas used by hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts on a weekly basis that are very safe to use," said Const. Gary O'Brien in the release.
"However, from time to time these sorts of incidents may occur."
Police shared the following recommendations for anyone who encounters a suspicious individual while hiking.
- Do not engage with the individual and walk away
- If confronted, make as much noise as possible
- Tell others on the trail
- Report the incident to the police as soon as possible
- Carry a phone with you and make sure it is charged
Anyone with information on Tuesday's incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, police said.
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