Two similar incidents involving indecent male exposure have occurred in the Georgetown area in the past two weeks, and though no injuries have resulted, the Department of Public Safety is cautioning students to remain aware of their surroundings and be wary of walking alone, especially at night.
According to a public safety alert e-mailed to the student body on Aug. 23, an unknown man approached a student at approximately 1 a.m. , while the student was walking on Prospect Street near 33rd Street . The man proceeded to pull off his shirt, pull down his pants and expose himself. Upon canvassing the area after the incident, both DPS and the Metropolitan Police Department could not find the man, who is described in the e-mail as a white male with short blonde or brown hair, 29-35 years old, and approximately 5’8″-9″ tall with a heavy build.
DPS issued a similar public safety alert, this time occurring in the backyard of a residence on the 3400 block of O Street , on Wednesday. According to this e-mail, a man walked from an alley into a student’s yard on the evening of August 30. When he attempted to expose himself, the student screamed and the man fled the area. The suspect is described as a white male, 35-40 years old, under 6 feet tall with thinning hair. Again, a search of the area by DPS and MPD yielded no results.
According to Doris Bey, associate director at the Department of Public Safety, no evidence currently links the two incidents or suspects. Bey said that DPS is working with the students who reported the incidents to compile sketches of the suspects and compare descriptions to determine whether the same man is responsible in both incidents. Bey and Sergeant Cetrina Smith, an investigative sergeant at DPS, said that students were encouraged to contact DPS with any information that may help with the investigation.
Bey also said that students should exercise attentiveness.
“Be observant, be aware of your surroundings,” she said.
For freshmen Caitlin Kelly (COL ’08), Clare Schramm (COL ’08) and Sara Waldman (COL ’08), the recent incidents have created a sense of apprehension during their first week of living at Georgetown .
“I’ll still go out and get what I need, but I think I’ll just be more aware,” Waldman said.
