Man has not been named or charged, police chief says; residents reveal uncomfortable encounters

Central Point police are encouraging residents to take extra precautions at city parks after a man was trespassed for aggressively approaching and following women and children.

At least a dozen reports have appeared online related to interactions with the man, seen mostly at Flanagan Park off Beall Lane, but also downtown Pfaff Park and at a handful of businesses.

Central Point police Chief Scott Logue confirmed numerous reports about the man, whom he declined to describe because he had not been charged with a crime, and said the man was recently trespassed from Flanagan Park for 30 days.

“We have identified the person and spoken with them and told them their behavior is very alarming,” Logue said this week.

“Obviously the behavior is pretty concerning and, at the very least, not what we would consider socially acceptable. … We’re trying to take it seriously because it’s obviously alarming behavior,” Logue said.

Parkgoers who report being approached by the man describe him as in his mid-30s and being of average heigh. He has dark hair and a strong accent, they said. 

Central Point resident Rachel Lynn Pfeil-Holbrook said she and her sister, who lives near Flanagan Park, had multiple encounters with the man beginning two weeks ago when he approached her from a creek area behind her sister’s property.

“He started asking personal questions about where I work and where I live. It got weird pretty quick,” she said.

“I started giving him false information and he just wouldn’t go away. He was saying, ‘You’re so beautiful. I want to be friends. … I was getting a really bad vibe, so I went straight inside.”

A week later, Pfiel-Holbrook said her sister’s family was at the park when the man approached her 8-year-old daughter, 5-year-old niece and 2-year-old nephew, asking where they lived.

He left the park to follow a teen girl but returned minutes later, at which point three officers arrived at the park to speak to him.

Logue encouraged parents to use caution when letting children walk to neighborhood parks.

“Obviously, we have the laws that say your kids shouldn’t be alone if they’re under 10. As parents, use good judgment as far as your child’s maturity level,” Logue said.

“It’s obviously never a good idea to be solo.”

A man who works at a market near the park, who has a similar appearance to the man, is not the man who was trespassed, according to police. Anyone who has had safety concerns at a city park can contact Central Point police and reference case no. 25-1173.

Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or bpollock@rv-times.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.