By MO CRANKER on August 19, 2019.

mcranker@medicinehatnews.com

The Medicine Hat Police Service has charged one man after three people reported suspicious and alarming activity towards women with young children in the city’s southeast.

Redcliff resident Robert Horon, 34, has been charged with four counts of criminal harassment and was released by police with a set court date of Aug. 29.

“What I can say is that none of these victims knew him and he seemed to be transfixing on women with children,” said Staff Sgt. Darren Lole. “He seemed to be staring, creeping them out and then advancing towards them with speed which alarmed the victims.

“It was a thousand-mile stare and then him almost running towards them – it really creeped people out and they just scooped their kids up and went inside of their residences.”

Lole says three different people reported Horon on Saturday and after a little digging, the MHPS found two other reports against him, which allowed the police to press four counts of criminal harassment instead of just two.

“Yesterday there was three calls and there were two previous victims,” said Lole. “He is known to Medicine Hat police, but it was for other issues in the past.”

Lole says police are reminding Hatters that the service does not monitor its social media accounts 24/7 and that reports need to be made over the phone or through the MHPS app.

“If we ask if people are seeing something suspicious on Facebook or Twitter, we need them to call in and report it to us,” he said. “Posting as a comment isn’t how people should go about reports – it won’t get seen in a timely manner.”

Lole added that Horon was easy track down Saturday and compliant when police arrested him.