Man has been chasing women, exposing himself in Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, West Town

CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago Police on Thursday alerted several Near West and Northwest Side neighborhoods about a man exposing and touching himself in front of women.

In some cases, the man has also been chasing the women. CBS 2’s Charlie de Mar spoke to two victims, who said they have identified a pattern.

The common link behind all these incidents is the man starts up a conversation – usually asking for direction – and then proceeds to expose himself.

The incidents have been reported in the Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, and West Town areas – from North Avenue south to Chicago Avenue, and from Western Avenue east to about Ashland Avenue.

Aria Mehta said she was one of the victims. She had just left a 7-Eleven at Damen Avenue and Le Moyne Street at noon one day in late May, when a man stopped her on the sidewalk.

“He was just kind of in my ear, saying, ‘Excuse me, miss?” Mehta said. “He did have om the black surgical mask; the big hoodie with the hood up.”

Mehta said the man asked for directions to 1600 S. Canal St. – a location almost six miles away. 

“I tried to help him,” she said. “I pulled up some directions.”

But Mehta said after she walked away, he followed him.

“He pulled up on me really fast on his bike. And I was feeling a little bit weird, and that’s when I sort of looked down and realized he was moving his hand up and down really fast underneath his hoodie – so I screamed and I stepped back and I said, ‘What are you doing?'” Mehta said. “I screamed pretty loud he got startled.”

Later, Mehta posted about her experience on the Wicker Park Neighborhood Watch Facebook group – and caught the attention of a different woman who says the same man also exposed himself to her—the second woman asked not to be identified.   

“I started screaming, and then he exposed himself and chased me halfway down the alley,” the woman said.

It happened as she was walking her dog on Hermitage Avenue between Ellen Street and Potomac Avenue. She was able to get away.

Chicago Police said at least four women have been targeted by the same person. But the woman who asked not to be identified said she has personally connected with at least 10 others – who all share similar stories.

“It pains me every time I have to reach out to someone new,” the woman said. “He’s terrorizing the community. “I’d like to see something done about it.”

Meanwhile, while Mehta ran away and made it  home safely, her sense of security has been tested.

“One thing that’s definitely changed is I bought some pepper spray, and I always look behind me when I’m walking around,” she said.

The women we spoke to were targeted months ago – and also wonder why Chicago Police just put out a community alert on Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to call Area Three detectives at (312) 744-8261, or Area Five detectives at (312) 746-6554.