Man Chases Girl in Incident Like One Last Week

Police were searching Wednesday for a man who approached a 14-year-old girl in a suspicious manner, and investigators were trying to determine whether he was the same man who attacked another youngster nine days ago.

The Ethel Dwyer Middle School student was walking home from school Wednesday when a man in a two-door, white car drove past her three times near Crest Avenue and 14th Street in Huntington Beach. The man then approached her on foot, asking about a lost dog, Police Lt. Gary Brooks said.

The man chased the girl as she ran back toward the school, but was gone by the time the student alerted a teacher, Brooks said.

He was described as Latino, in his 30s, about 5 feet 8, of medium weight and with short brown hair. He was wearing a white shirt, dark pants and black boots. His car, possibly a Chevrolet, had accident damage to the right front end.

On April 14, a 13-year-old student walking to class at Spring View Middle School in Huntington Beach was grabbed by a man but managed to break free and get to safety, police said.

The perpetrator in that attack, which took place about three miles from the site of the Wednesday incident, had a similar description but was said to have long hair and to be driving a blue car, police said.