A Juneau man was arrested last week after he allegedly chased two girls in the Mendenhall Valley, prompting concerns for their safety.
36-year-old Darian Bliss has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of causing fear of imminent and serious injury. Charging documents say the girls were afraid Bliss was going to kidnap them.
Sam Kokotovich is the father of one of those girls. He said the experience shook his daughter Kiara’s trust in people she encounters.
“She said that she’s not going to be so trustworthy about everyone, but she’s going out,” he said. “She’s not traumatized, but you know, I don’t know. I don’t know how she’s doing. She won’t tell me. She’s very closed about it right now.”
Kiara and her friend reported that Bliss ran after them as they left Glacier Cinemas at 9 p.m. Thursday night after a movie, according to charging documents. When the girls left the area, Bliss allegedly continued pursuing them while yelling. The girls, who are 12 and 13 years old, ran to the Super Bear IGA grocery store a mile away. They called the police while they ran.
Police say officers arrived at the store and identified the man as Darian Bliss. They interviewed Kiara and her friend, witnesses and Bliss.
Multiple witnesses told the police they saw the man chase the girls to the store, with some claiming they blocked Bliss from following the girls inside. One of the girls told police the man was asking if they wanted him to take them home.
Bliss told police he was running to the store, not chasing the girls.
On top of the two misdemeanor counts Bliss is being charged with, he was initially also charged with two counts of misdemeanor child enticement. But during his arraignment, the judge dismissed them due to lack of probable cause. Each misdemeanor charge could result in up to a year sentence.
Kokotovich said he is scared for his daughter’s safety if Bliss is released on bail.
“Just talking about it now makes me really uneasy with her just going out,” he said. “And what happens if they run into each other?”
Bliss is being held at Lemon Creek Correctional Center and his bail is set for $500. He is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Sept. 14 at the Dimond Courthouse in Juneau.
