Naked men being sighted in woods near Carbondale

By Dennis Webb
Thursday, May 3, 2012

Recreationists who may have been hoping to see wildlife in the woods around Carbondale have been getting an eyeful of something else instead.

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office has taken multiple reports of naked men being spotted on hiking and biking trails in the mid-Roaring Fork Valley this spring.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Tanny McGinnis said the reports mark a continuation of similar sightings dating back to 2008.

Recent reports include:

• One on March 28, involving a suspect running on the Red Hill Trail near Carbondale, described as white with red hair, about 5-foot-10, with an athletic build.

• Another April 29 involving another runner near the top of the same trail, and described as white with short brown hair, about 5-foot-9 with a runner’s build.

• An incident Wednesday, involving a man hiding behind a tree near the Lorax Trail, also outside Carbondale. He’s described as white, with brown hair, a small beard, and about 5-foot-11 and 25 to 30 years old.

The sheriff’s office also took an April 22 report of a male masturbating in the brush just off the Rio Grande bike path near the Catherine Bridge trailhead near Carbondale.  The suspect was described as white, with shoulder-length light or graying hair, about 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall and with a medium to thick build.

McGinnis said it can be hard for eyewitnesses to describe suspects entirely accurately, and investigators believe some descriptions are similar enough that the same man might be involved in numerous incidents. But they also are pretty confident more than one party is involved.

She is encouraging people to carry cell phones and call 911 to report any sightings immediately so authorities can respond more quickly in hopes of making an arrest.