Police increase patrols as they look for West Seattle flasher

SEATTLE — Police increased patrols in West Seattle on Saturday with dozens of kids in the area for a community festival and a flasher still on the loose.

Families enjoyed Holy Rosary's WestFest but also had the suspect on their minds.

"It's kind of terrifying to think about," Tierza Clerc said. She brought her five-year-old son Finnegan and his friend to the festival.

Normally parents can drop off their kids, but after a man exposed himself to children in West Seattle three times in the past two weeks, including twice at Holy Rosary, parents were told to stay close this year.

Clerc talked to her son about it.

"I have just mentioned that there's someone doing things that aren't very appropriate and you should just watch for anyone that's doing funny things, and run away and come get me," she said.

Kathy Peterson was keeping an eye on her six-year-old daughter. She said she's drilled her on what to do if she sees a suspicious stranger.

"It's very scary," she said. "They're little people and they just have to know, be safe."

Most recently, a seven-year-old girl spotted the flasher outside Westside School on Wednesday. She was on the playground for afternoon recess when officers say she looked through the fence to the street below and saw the suspect sitting in a car wearing a red T-shirt but no pants.

Police said they're looking for a white male in his 30s or 40s with a normal to slender build, short dark hair and a scruffy beard.

He was sitting in a small, beat-up black car with body damage.

KIRO