Santa Monica police arrested a 35-year-old man on Monday, Feb. 16, after the suspect exposed and fondled his genitals in front of a couple who had witnessed the incident from inside their home.
Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a call at 3:30 pm informing them there was a trespasser present at a residence in the 500 block of Ashland Ave. Upon arrival the officers spotted a man lying on a pile of wood next to the front unit.
This unit appeared to be undergoing some remodeling. The officers looked at this individual and noticed that he appeared to be agitated and was fussing with his clothing.
A few moments later the tenant from the rear unit of the address appeared and identified himself as the victim. The victim then told the officers that the suspect had stood in front of his unit and had exposed his penis.
The victim added that the suspect had then fondled said penis.
The victim stated that this behavior had caused fear and concern for his safety as well as the safety of his girlfriend, who had also witnessed the exposure and fondling of the penis.
The victim stated that they wanted the officers to perform a citizen’s arrest upon the suspect, so the officers obliged and this 35-year-old individual, who refused to identify himself or follow instructions from the officers, was taken to jail and later charged with indecent exposure.
Bail was not granted.
Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of The Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.
