Man sought after alleged lewd act outside NE Philadelphia daycare
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man is being sought by police after witnesses said he performed a lewd act outside a daycare center in Northeast Philadelphia on Monday afternoon.
According to witnesses, the man walked up to a front window of the daycare and began performing a lewd act.
Daycare employee Minesly Martinez said she immediately confronted him.
"I opened the door and said, 'You don't do that, that's nasty!'" Martinez said.
Another daycare employee, who asked not to be identified, said children were near the window at the time of the incident.
"They were all at the window just staring. One year-old, two year-old, toddlers, they didn't know what they were looking at at all," the employee said.
Surveillance video captured the suspect running away, but witnesses said the encounter did not end there. Martinez said the man returned moments later and became aggressive.
"He came running to us, kind of forcing to open the door, and then he ran to the back," Martinez said.
"It was scary. More for the kids because we got newborn kids, you know. We are adults, and we know what to do. We were just more afraid for the kids," she added.
Martinez said both the front and back doors of the daycare were locked and that the suspect never entered the building. She said he then pounded on the windows for several seconds before leaving the area.
No physical injuries were reported.
Employees at the daycare and other nearby daycare centers say they hope an arrest is made soon.
"We have to get this guy from the streets because he's a danger, not just for us but for other kids. There's a lot of daycare around here. There is one over here, one over there. So, hopefully they catch him soon," Martinez said.
The case is being investigated by the Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
