MASON CITY – Area residents told NorthIowaToday.com Thursday that they are concerned about a man they say approached children while carrying a puppy.
Police confirmed today that Wednesday night at 8:43 pm, a resident in the 200 block of South Louisiana reported a man had been at their residence a few minutes earlier. The man claimed to be a salesman for DirectTV but had a dog with him and spoke to a 5 yr-old son at the residence. The salesperson was driving a white van with Nebraska plates. The caller said they have had prior contacts from other DirectTV salespeople recently. The prior salesperson(s) drove a vehicle with MO plates.
“Whether the man was attempting to solicit for DirectTV in the area last night is unknown. The caller was concerned due to the stranger approaching her son with a puppy at 8:30 at night driving a van with out of state plates,” Mason City police stated.
A Mason City woman told NIT Thursday that the man “came to my friends house two nights in a row, the second time did not talk about DirecTV and had a puppy. Interacted with her 5 year old. Has happened after dinner time both nights.”
“Last night it was said that he just appears like out of nowhere and she hasn’t seen him going to any other houses,” the woman continued. “They have 3 small children that are always outside playing (supervised of course). He brought the puppy up on to their porch and was talking to the 5 year old, but not about DirectTV. The first night he came up and asked if the dish was current. Second night, no tv talk.
“We’re gonna be on the lookout for that van today. It’s not good.”
Anyone that see any suspicious activity should call the Mason City Police Department at 641-421-3636.
Matt or anyone: whats the law concerning a door to door peddler or salesman. Do they need to have a permit? Or are they exempt in any way?
I don’t think people are over reacting at all. Just a reminder to everyone that not only could this be a predator not to just children but to others, as well. It could also be a home invasion set up. Keep your eyes open children and your selves safe!
He came to my house and my cousin was here with me my mom was outside talking to my mom with a little pet Yorkie I looked outside my window and he waved and smiled at me I went back to watching a movie with my cousin my cousin also looked out the window he did the same she just ran back over here he then did not ask to walk in the house but he did walk into the house and said “I know you want to come out and per my dog” we just didn’t feel comfortable at all my mom said there busy watching a movie so he sat back down and chatted with my mom for a very long time after my mom told us that he was trying to make friends and make the kids more comfortable with him so next time he comes they will let him in he also asked questions like when is your husband he when does he work when do you work this is very strang to us
If he shows up around my place, I’ll knock him out and keep his puppy. Nobody messes with my family.
This whole thing is out of control.
Take the photo down please. Since we now know it’s the wrong van. Nothing like getting a posse after someone innocent. Sheesh.
This same kind of situation happened late yesterday afternoon near westtown charlie brown. The kids came and told myself an another adult. If I catch this guy, hes gonna wish he were dead!
I do not think people are over reacting to this situation after we’ve already seen how a 15 year old was kidnapped and murdered and her 12 year old friend kidnapped but luckily escaped and the situation with Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook. I don’t care if anyone thinks I’m paranoid or not…it’s better to be safe than sorry and get this checked out and if nobody has anything to hide then they’d have no problem speaking with the police. It sounds like from the conversations on here that this van is not the vehicle, but maybe a white dodge truck? Does anyone have the plate number from the white dodge truck that was mentioned? It doesn’t hurt for all of us to know it so we can keep an eye out and contact police if we see it and let them speak with whoever it is.
Matt: you might want to remove the pictures as we now know they are not the correct vehicle. If its a white dodge truck like someone stated, then people need to learn the difference between vehicles. good example of how trouble can happen to innocent people.
Wow, Scary
The direct t.v also was at our house. That wasn’t his van. He had like a white new small Dodge? truck with out of town plates. The next day for a good while he was parked in front of my house but appeared to be installing for my neighbor.
i live right behind the white van. it belongs to my father in-law who was at my house helping with a plumbing issue. the white van has nothing to do with the creepy direct tv guy who also came by the house with a random puppy. i don’t know what his deal is, but that van does not go with him.
John Colombo, isnt Bookmeyer waitin for you in the bedroom? Run along.
I think this man/person may have been going door to door in Sheffield on Monday afternoon. My daughter answered the door to a man with a clipboard ask if we had any problems with our cable dish…
Wouldn’t you think the logo or some kind of lettering would be on the van if they are selling a service?
UPDATE FROM MCPD: “The resident did provide the plate number to police last night. We had Dispatch run the plate last night but no record was found. We are trying to follow up with the state of Nebraska to see if they can clarify this response from their computer database.”
Lock and load.
There are out of state direct TV people going door to door but they are driving minivans. Either way not good and it is only a block from my house.
Wouldn’t this be easily figured out by running plates and checking with direct tv? Where are those details?
Chris setterholm or mike Peckham is Prolly who it is