A video of a female hiker on a Montara Mountain trail (near Pacifica in the Bay area) juxtaposed with a shot of a man wearing a ski mask has frightened viewers who came across it online, leading Pacifica police to investigate the video’s origin.
Although it is not illegal to create a video that is disturbing in nature as long as no crime has taken place, police identified and contacted the video’s creator, who was uncooperative, according to Pacifica police Capt. Daniel Steidle.
The videographer would not tell police why he made the video and said he caused the woman in the video no harm, nor did he make any contact with her, Steidle said. The woman has not been identified and she has not come forward. “An average person would apologize, but this guy was geared up for his rights and knew he hadn’t committed any crime — he was up for negative public attention and he got it,” Steidle said.
Police received dozens of reports, both by phone and electronically, from concerned community members who had seen the 59-second video on Liveleak.com. The clip begins with a picture of a lone mountain bike — presumably the videographer’s — and then pans to a sunny wide-shot of Montara Mountain. The viewer can hear the sound of the wind as the video zeroes in on a woman walking alone on the trial, seemingly unaware that she is being filmed. It then pans to the left where a full face hits the screen.
The man shown, wearing a black ski mask, maintains an exaggerated expression, with his wide eyes and a gritted-toothed smile showing through the three holes of the knitted mask.
So who is he? Watch this report:
