The Tigard community was unsettled by the news of a man arrested for allegedly harassing three women at Cook Family Park. In its Facebook post, the Tigard Police Department identified the suspect as 29-year-old Tualatin resident Jhonatan Temprana-Olivares, who is accused of approaching three different women and grabbing one of them, near a trail by the volleyball court on Monday. The Tigard Police Department is currently seeking additional victims in connection with these incidents
The park trail in question connects to neighborhoods along Tualatin Road, where all three encounters took place, the KGW reported. On August 12, around 7:30 in the morning, one woman encountered Temprana-Olivares while running; upon hearing a noise and turning around, she found him directly behind her, pushed him away, and yelled, then Temprana-Olivares asked for the time, the report detailed.
Residents have expressed their concerns over the safety of the park, an area previously thought to be secure and family-friendly. "We have so many kids. They love this park. We love this park. We think that this park is safe, but hearing this it’s really surprising," Lucy Ann Joel, a resident, told KPTV. Her statement encapsulates the community's shock and highlights a heightened sense of vigilance around Cook Family Park.
In response to the events, the Tigard Police Department has issued a reminder for park-goers to remain aware of their surroundings. "Fortunately, this doesn’t happen that often," Kelsey Anderson, the public information officer for the Tigard Police Department said in a statement quoted by KGW. The Police are seeking further information from the community that might aid them in the ongoing investigation.
