Bakersfield Police are investigating a Craigslist advertisement of what some would describe as an adult stalking a teen. Parents and students are starting to learn about this ad Tuesday, after a concerned resident posted the ad on Facebook to bring awareness, Sergeant Gary Carruesco said.
The ad, posted on March 13th under "missed connections" says quote, "I see you get off a bus and cross the street near the BPD substation. You're tall, brunette and beautiful. I've never talked to you, seeing as though I'd be in a car, but you cross at about 3:50 most days. You look about 15 or 16."
Looking at the advertisement, it is under "m4w" which means man for woman, and it looks like the age of the man who posted the ad is 36, as you can see down in the bottom right corner of the page.
This is concerning to parents and students in the area. The nearest high school is Stockdale High and they are working with BPD to keep their students safe, according to Lisa Krsh, Media Relations for Kern High School District.
A Sophomore who walks to school and matches the description in the ad, said she doesn't normally pay attention while she's walking, listening to music on her way. Now she's changing her routine.
She said she's going to walk with friends and be more vigilant.
"Looking at your surroundings looking to see who's standing on corners. Looking to see people that are standing at or near your bus stop," Carruesco said those are a couple things students should do while walking around the area the stalker described.
Some parents, like John Kadel, said he picks his daughter up for that very reason, to protect her. "I make sure she's either with a friend or with me, so yeah to keep her safe," Kadel said.
His Freshman daughter, Macey, said she's glad she gets picked up and said all of her friends are picked up as well,"That's scary, even if I did have friends that walk home that's like scary, I'd definitely tell them," Macey said.
Thankfully with Facebook, messages like this get out to the community.
Carruesco said students should be careful with social media, "there are a lot of predators out there that do nothing but search social media for pictures and things of that nature and if they know where you might be at a certain time of the day, you know they may show up at the same time."
Krsh said Stockdale High teachers will be talking with students about how to stay safe while walking to and from school. They advised students to walk in groups, keep an eye out for anyone who looks suspicious and to report anyone who looks suspicious. They also advised students to carry a cell phone if possible and call 9-1-1 if they think they are being followed and should go to a public area.
