CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is seeking the man responsible for assaulting a woman in a city park and grabbing her young child, who later was found in a park restroom.
Sgt. Rodd Joseph said the incident happened Saturday evening in Austin Park, located at 14077 Lakeshore Drive.
Just before 9:30 p.m. Clearlake Police Department officers responded to a residence in Lower Lake on the report of a kidnapping which had occurred sometime between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m., Joseph said.
During the investigation, Joseph said officers learned that an adult woman was at Austin Park with her 3-year-old son. They were seated at a table located near the restrooms on the gazebo side of the park. It was dusk but still during daylight hours.
A white male adult approached the woman and engaged in conversation about her child. Joseph said the man was described as being in his 30s, standing between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a thin build. He had a dark mustache, a possible beard and long dark hair – which may have been a wig – and a deep voice.
Joseph said the male subject asked to hold the woman’s child, but the woman refused.
The male subject then pushed the woman back and she fell to the ground, striking her head. Joseph said the male subject then picked the child up and ran into the women’s restroom.
As the woman was trying to get up off the ground, the man was seen leaving the women’s restroom and fleeing on foot, Joseph said.
Joseph said the woman went into the women’s restroom, where she discovered her uninjured yet traumatized child sitting in a puddle of urine in a stall.
The woman picked up her child and returned home with him, subsequently calling police. Joseph said officers were able to collect physical evidence from the child.
Officers conducted an extensive search of Austin Park and surrounding areas but were unable to locate the male subject, Joseph said.
Joseph said the man was last seen wearing a beanie-type watch cap, a white sweat shirt, blue jeans and unknown colored Nike shoes.
The case has been turned over to the Clearlake Police Investigations Unit, Joseph said.
Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is urged to contact Det. Elvis Cook at 707-994-8251, Extension 315.
As a result of the incident, Joseph said Clearlake Police officers will be conducting extra patrols in and around all Clearlake city parks.
Clearlake Police seek man who assaulted woman, attempted to abduct child in park
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