Mountain Park Park suspicious incidents involving man and children

This was shared through the Georgia Commerce Club.

Subject: Recent incident @ area park

This was forwarded to me & I was asked to inform the membership....just to raise awareness. Spring is coming soon & our parks will be filled with little ones. This just happened Sunday... Please be aware & share with others in the community:

I wanted to make you and our neighbors aware of an incident that occurred at Mtn Park Park this afternoon. Our softball commissioner made me and another coach aware of a man acting very suspiciously in the park - particularly in the playground (the one near the concession stand). We followed him for a time and observed him watching children play. He then went on the playground and starting interacting with small children offering to push them on the swings and engage them in conversation. At one point he was engaged with a small girl holding his arms out to her. At that point and after it was obvious that he did not know any of the children playing there, we approached him and began asking him who he was and what he was doing there and why he was engaged with children he obviously didn't know. The police were called and when we made him aware of that, he got very nervous. Because we had the playground secured with MANY other coach's and parents, he allowed us to escort him to a more secure location to wait for the police. He was questioned for a while by the police and was told (not asked) by the police that he was NEVER to return to the park and if he was caught there he would be arrested.

Later tonight, we received a phone call that a similar incident occurred on Friday by a man matching the same description as the one today. By the time the police arrived on Friday, he was gone. We were also made aware that he is believed to live within walking distance of the park.

The man is of Asian decent, approx 5'4 tall and appears to be between 55-60 years old. If a person matching this description is seen at the park, it can be immediately reported to Henry - at the concession stand. He was present and would recognize him.

Our parents need to be reminded that bad things can happen - even in the best community!