Police Search For Man Suspected Of Taking Upskirt Photos Of Girls At Topanga Mall
CANOGA PARK (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles police are asking for the public's help in identifying and finding a suspect who has allegedly been taking upskirt pictures of girls at Westfield Topanga Mall.
Around 3:45 p.m. on July 20, a man reportedly approached a 7-year-old girl while she was standing in a food court line with her mother and pointed a small camera at her dress.
"There's a guy bent over at the waist, right close up to me to where his head is by my daughter," said the mother, who wished to remain unidentified. "I don't know if it was mother's instinct or what, but the hairs on my neck stand up, and I realized something is going on."
The mom said she quickly moved her daughter away and glared at the man as he walked over to three teenage girls.
"He had something in his hand, he stuck it up one of the girls' skirts and was grabbing his hand, clicking something," she said.
The mother said that's when she ran over to the man.
"I pushed him away from them and then started yelling as loud as I could so that people heard me," she said. "It was almost like an [out-of-body] experience. My body took over, and I just needed to get him away from these girls."
She said no one appeared to be paying attention, however, and the culprit left the mall before security could apprehend him.
"You saw fear in his face, and he ran away," said the mother. "Some old man having my daughter's picture, and other girls, too, is very violating. Who knows what else he's doing. I'm sure this isn't his first time doing it."
The suspect was described as Caucasian, around 60 to 70 years old, about 5 feet 3 to 5 feet 6 inches tall, approximately 140 to 160 pounds, with light brown hair and glasses. He was wearing a long sleeve yellow shirt and carrying a brown backpack.
Anyone with information on the suspect was urged to contact detectives at (818) 756-3375.
