Police Question Man Who Randomly Asks Women if He Can Run With Them on the Prairie Path

A warning shared on Elmhurst-related Facebook groups this week has had some women who frequent the Illinois Prairie Path concerned. But Elmhurst Police Chief Michael Ruth said Thursday that the Path is safe.

The warning making the rounds on Facebook described "unsettling incidents" involving a man approaching women on the Path and asking to run with them. The post said he had been spotted regularly, "as far back as early 2011," and was seen "watching runners in Villa Park" as well. The warning included a description of the man and his license plate number, and asked runners to call 911 if they see him.

Chief Ruth said police identified the man, who is a 37-year-old Elmhurst resident, and asked him to come in to the station for an interview on Thursday.

"He came in of his own volition to talk to us," Ruth said.

After the interview, detectives determined he has "no ill intent and didn't mean any harm," Ruth said.

"Basically his actions, although they are unusual, did not rise to the level of a criminal offense," Ruth said. "In our discussions with him, he's agreed to refrain from asking people if he can run with them and to stay away from the Prairie Path."

Ruth said the man has no criminal history and lives with his family.

"He didn't chase anybody down, and most of the people we spoke with said they weren't alarmed by him, it was just kind of odd," he said.

As a general rule, if anyone ever sees anything suspicious or unusual, they should call 911 right away, Ruth said.

"That way, we can talk to the person, identify them, speak with them and find out what they're doing," he said. "If they're up to no good, we can stop it. If they're thinking about doing something they shouldn't, it alerts them the police are aware of their presence—but that was not the case with this guy."

Also, unrelated to this case, Ruth said the Elmhurst Police Department is preparing to revive an initiative that hasn't been in effect for the past couple of years.

"We had our bicycles re-marked and striped for greater visibility," Ruth said. "Anticipating the weather is going to get nicer, we're going to put officers on bikes, and they'll be covering the Prairie Path."

Ruth said the goal is not to "swoop in and write tickets," but rather to get to know people in a friendly fashion.

"Our goal is high visibility and a sense of community," he said.

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