YPD MEDIA STATEMENT – 7/10/2024:

YARMOUTH POLICE ARREST MAN AFTER REPORT OF ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD

SOUTH YARMOUTH, Mass. – Yarmouth Police responded to Peter Homer Park shortly before 8:00 p.m. Tuesday night, after receiving a report that a man attempted to sexually assault a 5-year-old child. While at a soccer game on the fields, the unknown man lured the child behind the park’s restrooms where the attempt took place. The child’s screams managed to scare off the suspect and he fled the area.

Multiple officers arrived in the area and began to search for the suspect, who was seen leaving on an electric bicycle. Another responding officer attended to the child and their family to ensure their safety and obtain critical investigative information.

Yarmouth Fire/Rescue also responded to assess the child for any injuries.

An extensive search was underway for the suspect with patrols checking neighborhoods, parks, businesses and the bicycle path. While officers were conducting area checks, tips from social media began to come in.

In response to the event, Yarmouth Police deployed plain clothes officers, bicycle patrol units, and additional resources to not only attempt to locate the suspect, but to provide a higher level of safety and security as well.

Just before 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Yarmouth Police conducted vehicle stop and located the suspect, identified as Ryan Evans, 27, of South Yarmouth. Evans was placed under arrest and transported to the Yarmouth Police Department for processing. He is charged with Assault to Rape a Child, Kidnapping of a Child, and Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14. Evans will be arraigned in Barnstable District Court on Thursday.

The Yarmouth Police are familiar with Evans and had dealings with him in the past. In 2021, the Yarmouth Police charged Evans with Unarmed Burglary and Assault, Assault to Rape a Child, Assault and Battery, Destruction of Property and Larceny.

HN NOTE:  In 2021, Ryan Evans was charged with Assault to Rape a Child, Burglary & Assault on an occupant, Assault and Battery,  and Destruction of Property.  CLICK HERE TO READ HN’S 2021 REPORT ENTITLED, “BURGLARY SUSPECT CHARGED WITH ASSAULT TO RAPE A CHILD” 

INITIAL HN REPORT & VIDEO:

[VIDEO NOTES] HN spoke with the father who had just raced to the park upon hearing the news. In a brief conversation, he told me someone had just tried to rape his child. The little boy, age 5, was being held and comforted by his mother as he was being checked out by Yarmouth FD EMTs near to the restrooms where the attempted sexual assault had allegedly taken place. The family then chose to transport the child to Cape Cod Hospital in their own personal vehicle while a marked Yarmouth Police unit followed. The initial call happened [around] 8 p.m., when police were called to Peter Homer Park, at 144 Old Town House Road, for a report that a black male on an electric bike had just attempted to sexually assault a 5-year-old boy.

The park was filled with families at the time. A friend of the family said the family had been attending the victim’s brother’s soccer game. At the end of the game, all the focus was on the field, according to the family friend. That’s when a black male in his thirties allegedly lured the 5-year-old boy behind a restroom. The boy was able to scream and cry and apparently scare away his attacker, according to the family friend. The attacker then reportedly took off on an electric bike that was equipped with some type of music speaker system, with a milk crate on the back.

The suspect is believed to have escaped along a nearby bike path. He is still at large, and the investigation is very active. HN will provide official updates as they become available… The following HN Video highlights the call audio and scene of the crime…

[HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]

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