LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Multiple women reported being followed by a suspicious man in Lakewood this fall — including one instance where a woman said he brushed against her baby stroller on the Bear Creek Trail for an unknown reason — according to an affidavit obtained by Denver7 on Friday morning.
The Lakewood Police Department had issued a warning about the suspicious person on Nov. 5 and he turned himself into police the following day. The arrest affidavit details the women's accounts that led them to call 911 on the man.
James Byron Smith, 22, was arrested for suspicion of harassment (nine counts), trespassing (three counts) and obstructing an officer, police said Thursday. All are misdemeanors. He has not been formally charged as of Friday evening.
Most of the incidents occurred on or around where Bear Creek Trail crosses S. Kipling Parkway. The trail is a very popular regional route, and based on Lakewood's data, more than 450,000 people use the trail and Bear Creek Greenbelt open space each year.
This case started on Oct. 4, when an agent with the Lakewood Police Department responded to the 10100 block of W. Dartmouth Place after receiving a report of a suspicious man chasing a female resident at an apartment complex, the arrest affidavit reads. The man had apparently approached two kids in the area the day before.
Police learned that the leasing office of the apartment complex had received multiple complaints from female residents about a man loitering around the complex who matched the suspect's description.
While speaking with the female resident, police learned she had confronted the man and asked if he was supposed to be on the property. He fled on foot, the affidavit reads.
On the morning of Nov. 4, security at Bear Creek High School reported a man on campus who had followed a female student toward the school. Once he was within 30 to 40 feet of her, school security personnel yelled at him to get off the property. The student said she did not know she was being followed, according to the affidavit. The man walked away from the school.
Just before 11 a.m. that same day, a female resident of a nearby apartment complex called police to report that a man had been following her for about 1.5 miles on foot. His description matched the suspicious person from previous reports. She said the man stopped every time she paused to let her dog sniff the ground. When she reached her condo, she went inside and saw the man from her balcony. She told police he had his head on a swivel, and appeared to be looking for her. He then stopped near a car parked in front of her windows and tried to open the driver's side door a few times, according to the affidavit.
About 45 minutes later, a woman reported that she had been walking near a bridge on Bear Creek Trail with a stroller and noticed a man following her. She moved to the side to let him pass and reported that he "walked dangerously close to the baby carriage, brushing against it," the affidavit reads.
"(She) described the male as wearing dark clothing, including a ski mask and a backpack. (She) stated that the male's behavior was aggressive and suspicious as there was no reason to come that close to her," the document says.
After he passed, he stopped nearby and looked in her direction multiple times, she told police. She decided to change her route, but he continued to follow her. When she stopped to speak with another person on the trail, she said he hid. Police also spoke with that other trail user, who described the man as "suspicious," according to the affidavit.
An agent with the police department responded to the area to see if they could locate the suspect. He spotted a man with a black hoodie with the hood up and tight around his face, even though it was sunny and in the upper 70s. The officer activated his emergency lights and got out of his unmarked patrol car, and the man fled down a drainage ditch, according to the affidavit. The officer, among other police who had arrived at the scene, commanded the man to stop, but he continued to run away, jumping over low fences along the way. Police ultimately lost sight of him.
Two days later, on Nov. 6, a resident along the 2900 block of S. Nelson Street reported that he had seen a man who matched the description of the suspect in his yard on Nov. 4. The resident said the man did not have permission to be on his property. The suspect fled from the backyard.
On Nov. 5, Lakewood released a bulletin warning the community about the suspicious person. The flyer included photos of the suspect. In the aftermath, the police department received multiple other tips and information about other interactions with the suspect.
Lakewood
Lakewood police ID man suspected of following women, girls on Bear Creek Trail
On Nov. 6 around 7:40 a.m., the suspect turned himself into the Lakewood Police Department. He was identified as Smith. He agreed to interview with police about the case.
Smith told police he is from New York and moved to Colorado in June. He has dated his girlfriend for about four years.
He said he often goes for walks along and near the Bear Creek Trail. Initially, he said he stayed on the trail, but later said he walks at Bear Creek High School, around a coffee shop, a playground and a nearby apartment complex, where he does not live. When asked, he did not have a reason to walk at the high school and denied following any students. He said he sits at playgrounds while kids and teenagers play just "to chill," the affidavit reads.
Police asked him about the incident where he brushed by a woman's stroller. He initially denied having contact with the woman and then said he may have accidentally brushed against the stroller, the affidavit reads.
When asked about why he was walking around the apartment complex on Oct. 4, he said he was looking for packages to steal, but a resident yelled at him.
Officers asked him about his relationship with his girlfriend, which he said was strained due to some recent arguments, his "constant" use of marijuana and his lack of a job, the document reads. He said his girlfriend had threatened to kick him out multiple times. During the interview, police asked him multiple questions about his active sex life. He noted that when he goes for walks, he looks for "eye candy," according to the affidavit. He denied being attracted to high school-aged girls.
Throughout the interview, he denied following the women and girls because he found them attractive.
Lakewood police said since they issued the report for help identifying the suspect, they have received many messages about this case and are working to determine if there are more victims.
Anybody with information on this case is asked to contact Det. Graham at 303-987-7823 or nicgra@lakewoodco.org.
