Police say a man is in custody after a series of assaults involving women and girls on the east side of Mountlake Terrace.
Police say a man is in custody after a series of assaults involving women and girls on the east side of Mountlake Terrace.
Since May, at least 12 reports have detailed a man approaching both teenagers and adults, first initiating conversations and later escalating to unwanted touching.
The Mountlake Terrace Police Department said these encounters grew more serious in the past two weeks.
Officers arrested a man on Wednesday at about 7:45 p.m. for investigation of multiple assaults with sexual motivation. He is being held in the Snohomish County Jail while detectives review the cases to identify other possible connections.
The suspect was described as a bald white or Hispanic man in his 30s to 40s, and police said multiple cases were reported near 44th Avenue between 212nd Street and the county line, often close to Mountlake Terrace High School.
"The suspect grabbed the victims' private parts," police said.
In earlier cases, the man reportedly did not touch the teenagers, asking only for directions and requesting hugs, but that changed with more recent reports. Back-to-back incidents near the high school last week involved inappropriate touching.
"High school staff are aware of the incidents and are working to distribute information to students," the Mountlake Terrace Police Department said.
Police listed related case numbers as 26-11179, 26-9811, 26-13431, 26-13886 and 26-13889.
Anyone with information about the suspect or any of these assaults is urged to contact 911.
