OTTAWA — Spiderman has been snared in his own web. A 17-year-old man from rural Ottawa has been booked into the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of lewd and lascivious behavior in connection with three incidents involving a driver wearing a Spiderman mask, Ottawa Police Capt. Adam Weingartner said. On Monday, a 12-year-old girl reported someone driving a white Ford pickup while wearing a Spiderman mask approached her while she was walking. On Tuesday, after reading about the first incident on social media, someone reported a similar incident that occurred last month but didn’t report it. Later Tuesday, a third person reported a similar incident that occurred in February. Weingartner said police had talked to someone about similar incidents in March. Based on the March interviews, Ottawa police officers and Franklin County deputies picked up the teen, he said. Weingartner said there may be more people who were approached and he says they should call police. “The department wants potential victims to know that it is OK to report suspicious behavior and to report anything like this as soon as possible,” Weingartner said. “The department has resources to assist victims who are uncomfortable or scared to make a police report. The department will do everything possible to make the victims feel safe when reporting incidents like this. The use of social media helped spread the word in this case and two more people came forward with information that led to the suspect’s arrest.”
Wednesday, June 22, 3 p.m.
