DELTONA -- A flasher who has been exposing himself to young girls in Deltona may have struck again, Volusia Sheriff's officials said, after a 10-year-old girl in the extreme
northern section of Deltona reported being flashed Thursday by a man in a black pickup truck.
Officials believe there are enough similarities to three previous episodes to believe that the same suspect may be responsible. The incidents are under investigation by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, which continues to appeal to the public for help in identifying the culprit.
In Thursday's incident, the girl was riding her bicycle while at a relative's house when she first encountered the black pickup truck.
The driver smiled at the girl as he drove past, but then drove back by the residence a few minutes later, deputies said. This time, the girl was sitting in the driveway. She said the truck slowed down as it neared her, and then the driver lifted his pelvic area to show his exposed penis before driving
off.
The girl notified a family member, who then called the Sheriff's Office at 5:52 p.m. to report the incident. Within a matter of minutes, a dozen Sheriff's Office patrol and K-9 units flooded the area and stopped several black pickup trucks in a search for the suspect. The victim, however, looked over the drivers and said they weren't the guy. A Sheriff's Office helicopter also was dispatched to the area to help in the search, but the suspect wasn't located.
Thursday's flashing incident was similar to three prior ones that occurred in Deltona on Jan. 6, Jan. 8 and Feb. 9, although the methods were slightly different. In the first three, the driver opened the vehicle door to expose himself. And in at least two of the first three, the suspect wasn't wearing any pants. According to Thursday's victim, the suspect was wearing faded blue jean shorts, a grey shirt and sunglasses. However, in all four cases, the suspect was driving a black pickup truck. All four incidents occurred around the same time of day -- between 5:25 p.m. and 6:27 p.m. -- and all targeted young girls between the ages of 7 and 12.
Deputies are asking anyone with information regarding the flasher to call law enforcement. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers, which is offering a reward for anyone who helps identify or locate the suspect. Additionally, investigators are asking residents to be observant for suspicious vehicles matching the suspect description and jot down the tag number if possible.
Anyone who wants to talk directly to law enforcement about the case can call Sheriff's investigator A.J. Pagliari at (386) 860-7030. Callers who wish to remain anonymous and qualify for a reward of up to $1,000 can contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Information also can be anonymously sent to Crime Stoppers by texting "TIP231 plus the message" to CRIMES.