Two men accused of inappropriately approaching teen girls

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

Two city men have been charged with endangering counts for inappropriately talking to teenage girls in separate incidents, police said.

One of the men is accused of offering a 15-year-old girl his phone number and a ride in his vehicle, according to papers filed in court.

Police Monday confirmed that they are still investigating a report from earlier last week where a 13-year-old told police she was approached by a man who grabbed her by the chest and tried to pull her into his car.

That incident, Assistant Police Chief Patrick Leguire said Monday, remained under investigation, and police so far believe it is unrelated to the two arrests made.

The man accused of offering the 15-year-old a ride was identified as 50-year-old Harold Taylor of 1036 Howard St. Taylor offered his phone number to the girl Friday morning on Norwood Avenue, near Van Cortlandt Street, according to papers filed in court. Taylor also allegedly offered her a ride in his vehicle to her destination.

Taylor was charged a short time later.

In the other case, Albert Chiweteoke, 55, of 815 Hattie St., was charged Thursday evening with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. Chiweteoke pulled up next to a 13-year-old girl at Duane Avenue and Backus Street and saying, “Hey baby,” according to papers filed in court.

In the third, apparently unrelated case from last week, another 13-year-old girl reported that she was approached by a man in the area of Oakwood Avenue and Howard Street the morning of Sept. 27. The man grabbed her by the chest and tried to pull her into his car, she told police.

She struck the man, got away and headed back to the school. She described the suspect as a heavyset man, 5 feet 9 inches tall, driving a newer red four-door car of unknown make and model, police said then.

Leguire said he couldn’t remember a similar cluster of such reports, but he said the teens did the right thing in getting away from the men and reporting the incidents to police. Police, he said, won’t tolerate such behavior.

“My general advice to kids is do not talk to any strangers,” Leguire said, “and immediately run away and contact an adult that you trust and make sure police are notified.”