Police are searching for an unknown man who allegedly tried to grope and grab two different teenage girls in the Otay Mesa area Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, a Hispanic male in his 20s driving a light-colored vehicle approached a 17-year-old girl at Del Sur Boulevard and Arruza Street just before 4 p.m.
Police say the man allegedly groped and touched the teenager inappropriately before fleeing the scene.
It is unclear what else transpired during their interaction, but the teen was left lying in the street bleeding, police said. Medics responded to treat her, but the extent of her injuries is unknown.
Meanwhile, around the same time, officers responded to a second similar call in the same area, near the 1400 block of Piedra Street.
This time, police say a 13-year-old girl reported being approached by a Hispanic male as she was walking home from school.
The girl told police that the man -- who matched the description from the incident involving the other teen -- tried to grab and touch her inappropriately.
She ran home and told her parents, who then called police.
Officers scoured the area in search of the groping suspect, but he was not immediately located.
Police have not yet confirmed if these two incidents are related. Both cases are under investigation.
Police did not release any further information Wednesday afternoon regarding the suspect or victims.
The incidents left some local parents feeling uneasy, including Otay Mesa resident Nancy Beltran.
She told NBC 7 this makes her worried for the safety of her own two daughters.
"It surprises me, but it does worry me because sometimes my daughters are playing in the front yard and somebody could just roll up. Yeah, it’s scary,” said Beltran. "Don't walk alone. Don't let your kids walk alone. Walk in a group."
The groping incidents in Otay Mesa Wednesday happened about a half-mile from where an unknown man recently tried to kidnap a woman by pulling her into a van. In that case, the woman was able to run away and call for help.
Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego