Patrols Increased : ‘Flasher’ Hits Two Times at High School

Police and campus security patrols have been beefed up at Huntington Beach High School after two recent incidents in which a young man exposed himself to female students in a school restroom, authorities said.

But the school’s principal said the incidents were “isolated” and “not a major concern” to students or faculty at the school.

“It’s no big deal, it’s a weirdo,” Principal Gary Ernst said. “I have staff members who were once students and they say nothing like this has ever happened here.”

Police Lt. Ed McErlain said the first incident occurred Feb. 2 when a young man, believed not to be a student at the school, emerged from a stall in a girls’ restroom, exposed himself to a 14-year-old student, then grabbed her in a bear hug. The girl broke free and fled, otherwise unhurt.

The second incident occurred in the same restroom on Feb. 10, when a man of the same description exposed himself to a 16-year-old girl, who also fled unharmed, McErlain said.

Restroom Near Park

An 18-year-old student later told police investigators that she had seen a man leave a stall in the restroom about 10 minutes before the Feb. 10 incident, McErlain said. The man did not expose himself to the 18-year-old before she ran from the restroom, he said.

Police said the incidents took place in the early afternoon in a restroom on the south side of the campus near Worthy Park.

In an effort to protect students, Ernst said, a full-time security officer for the school district has been assigned indefinitely to the campus. Additionally, he said, police have increased the frequency of their patrols both on and around the campus. Students are also being required to travel to the restroom in pairs or with a school official, Ernst said.

Ernst said students were concerned but not frightened because of the incidents. “Their awareness is up,” he said.

According to Ernst, it is difficult to prevent people from entering the campus, especially from the area adjacent to Worthy Park.

“We don’t have fences around campus, so it’s easy to walk on,” he said. “If you look like a student, people won’t pay much attention to you.”

The suspect was described as a Latino, about 17 to 20 years of age, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a medium build, brown hair and a mustache. Police asked anyone with information to contact them at (714) 536-5952 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or at (714) 960-8811 after 5 p.m.