A man who was said to be taking photographs of a woman walking alone in Lake Country has been cleared by RCMP after he came forward to speak with them.
As it turns out, it was a misunderstanding.
The incident on Sunday frightened a woman as she was walking alone between 8 and 9 p.m. around Davidson Road and Artela Road. She saw a dark-coloured Ford Explorer pull over ahead of where she was and to avoid a possible encounter she changed course and walked down an alley.
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She reported the man was taking photographs of her and, fearing for her safety, she ran to a nearby home where she called her spouse to pick her up. The incident was reported to the police shortly after.
After the RCMP requested public assistance, the man came forward to speak with authorities.
“As a result of the continued investigation, police do not believe that the man’s intentions were criminal in nature,” Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said. “It seems as though the local resident was also suspicious of our complainant and decided to obtain her photograph for identity purposes.”
“RCMP encourages Lake Country residents to remain vigilant and continue to remind them to be mindful of suspicious activities and persons in their neighbourhoods,” O’Donaghey said.
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These incidents should be reported to police as soon as possible, he added.
“Especially if you have decided to capture photos of possible persons of interest,” O’Donaghey said. “This will allow our investigators to determine whether or not a crime has in fact been committed.”
Police have since updated the complainant.