Reports of Unsettling Encounters in Montrose Concern the Community

On December 11, Montrose resident Andy Neilson, 35, had an unsettling encounter near a local community bar on Crocker Street. And he isn’t the only one who has reported a mysterious man trying to lure people into his white SUV.

“I went down the street to investigate a large police presence at Crocker Bar, which turned out to be nothing. I started walking back to my house while talking to a group of men who had just left the bar. They turned down a side street to go to their cars, and I was left by myself on the sidewalk. That’s when I heard a vehicle slowly following me. It suddenly sped up and stopped to the side of me, and this guy started calling out to me, ‘Hey! Come here! Please come talk to me! Get in here!’ 

“He had this strange urgency in his voice. He was talking to me like I was a child—like he was a stranger trying to lure a kid into his van. I didn’t look at him because I was worried that if I engaged this man, he might become more aggressive. I was two blocks from my house, so I started power walking to the next intersection with the intent to sprint home, but as soon as we hit the intersection he peeled off to the left,” says Neilson.

Neilson soon discovered on Facebook that another person, who took a photo of what appears to be the same vehicle, had a similar encounter. In that instance, according to the online posting, that person was stalked for three blocks after leaving work at night. Neilson believes the car in the photo to be the same vehicle that he saw. The license plate on the vehicle in the photo was unclear, but it appeared to be a paper dealership plate. 

In the comments of that Facebook post, there were ten other similar accounts with what the commenters believed to be the same car and individual. Most had a similar thread. The driver, described only as a Black man in his 20s or 30s, stalks with his vehicle, sometimes circling back several times. Then he tries to engage by calling the person over and offering a ride, and speeding off if he fails to engage. In a few instances, people who said they got into the car with the man alleged they were robbed. Although the stories may not be connected in any way, and have also not been fully substantiated, the commonalities are worth noting for anyone moving around the Montrose neighborhood surrounding the bars, especially at night. 

Crime, and in particular armed robberies, are not new to Montrose. This man in a white SUV is certainly not the only one who has been perceived as having nefarious intentions. Over the years, many people have been victimized by criminals who take advantage of people walking alone between the bars scattered throughout Montrose. It is also true that many individuals, sometimes closeted men from the suburbs, will cruise around the neighborhood looking for sexual encounters with other men, some of whom are sex workers. But Neilson believes these reports feel different. 

“The whole thing made my skin crawl. I’ve been approached before by strangers in cars who were probably cruising, but this felt more predatory and malevolent, especially considering the way he swooped in to get me as soon as I was separated from that group, and how quickly he made an exit when we got to the intersection that was lit,” Neilson explains.

This is a developing story.

If you have additional information regarding this story, contact HPD’s LGBTQIA+ liaison, Officer Jo Jones, at 346-577-2339.