A 78-year-old man is facing assault charges after an incident at a St. Catharines park.
Niagara Regional Police say it started on Wednesday of this week when police were called to a park near Russell Avenue and Catherine Street.
A parent called about an older man watching children, following the kids around and talking to them.
At one point the man grabbed a child before the parent intervened.
The man returned on Thursday and started talking to other children.
Police arrived on scene and arrested 78-year-old Carmelito Mariano for assault.
Detectives believe the same man may have approached other children at several parks in the area.
He is described as a Filipino man with a dark tanned complexion. He was wearing a long sleeve dark navy shirt, with shorts and a baseball hat.
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service’s 1 District CIB at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009703.
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