Police are investigating reports of a suspicious man along the Montour Trail in Bethel Park.
Bethel Park police were called to the Montour Trail on Friday after a woman reported an encounter with a suspicious man around 8 p.m., near the Limestone Drive entrance.
Investigators said the woman told police she was walking her dog when the man approached her, began talking to her and complimented her appearance. The report states the man then reached to touch her arm, but her dog lunged at him, causing him to run down the trail toward Peters Township.
Police said a Good Samaritan witnessed the incident and stayed with the woman until they arrived. People we spoke with who walk the trail daily were surprised to hear about the report and said they’ve always felt safe here.
“Dogs are really protective, so that doesn’t surprise me. What surprises me [is] we had anybody out here that was suspicious. I don’t know of any guys that are suspicious, and I’m here every day,” said Paul Boone, of Bethel Park.
“It’s pretty shocking, never really heard anything like that around in Bethel Park,” said Nick Hinsch, who takes his one-year-old son on the trail several times a week. “I definitely think it was [an] isolated [incident].”
This is a popular access point for walkers, joggers, and bikers. Police said they’re still working to determine if a crime did occur and want to talk to the man involved. They said this is an active investigation and are asking anyone who saw anything along the trail around Friday at 8 p.m. to give them a call.
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