High School Girls Nab Suspected Flasher

About 20 Catholic school girls chased down a man who had been flashing them near their high school, tackled him to the ground and held him there until police arrived, authorities said.

The students from St. Maria Goretti’s High School for Girls in South Philadelphia said the man had been flashing students since the middle of September. He typically hid behind a van, waited for students and then jumped out and exposed himself, police said.

But on Thursday, store owners in the area saw the man flashing girls and started yelling at him. The students then chased him down the street and subdued him with the help of a passer-by, authorities said.

Caitlin Dalin, a 14-year-old ninth-grader, said she kicked the suspect with her school shoes. “I’m happy he’s off the street,” Dalin told the Philadelphia Daily News, adding that the suspect had exposed himself to her twice.

The suspect was treated at the hospital for minor injuries to his mouth.

Philadelphia police Inspector William Colarulo said the 25-year-old suspect, whose name was not released, is expected to face a long list of charges.