Park incident spurs police to urge caution with kids

BANGOR – Authorities are reminding adults to keep a watchful eye on young children and to be wary of strangers after a suspicious man reportedly tried to coax a young girl into a park bathroom during the weekend and provocatively touched a teenager.

The incidents occurred Saturday, although they weren’t reported to Bangor police until Wednesday. An Eddington woman told police in Bangor that while at 13th Street park with her nieces, ages 6 and 13, a man tried to coax the younger girl into a bathroom by asking her to look for a lost puppy.

The man also touched the older girl in a provocative way before the aunt confronted the man and drove him away, the woman told Bangor police Officer George Spencer.

The man was described as being white, age 45 to 50, with a crew cut hairstyle and wearing sunglasses with round lenses. He was 6 feet tall and weighed 200 pounds.

Bangor police Sgt. Larry Weber said on Wednesday that adults should be diligent in watching children and keeping an eye out for suspicious people. Living in a city like Bangor doesn’t mean people should let their guard down, he said.

Parks like the one on 13th Street can bustle with activity in the summer and adults should be wary of people who look out of place or are acting out of the ordinary, he said. Taking down pertinent information about the person, including a physical description and a license plate number of a motor vehicle involved, can help police, he said.

Weber said local police agencies should be called immediately if something occurs or even if someone is simply acting suspiciously.