Police arrested a suspect they claim is responsible for public masturbation, indecency and solicitation of sexual acts
By KATYA OKS — city@theaggie.org
On Jan. 2 and Jan. 6, six public indecency incidents were reported to local authorities near Olive Drive, at the edge of Downtown Davis. Olive Drive holds a number of businesses, including In-N-Out, Dutch Bros, Blake’s Heating and Air Conditioning, in addition to multiple residential buildings, such as the Ryder and Lexington apartments.
John Evans, a lieutenant in the Davis Police Department, shared details on the nature of these incidents.
“[Our investigators] believe that the same suspect is responsible for all six cases,” Evans said. “In each case, the suspect has reportedly followed female victims while masturbating, soliciting sexual acts or engaging in a combination of both behaviors.”
A description of the suspect was released after the multiple reports were made. In addition, a photo of the believed suspect was posted on the Instagram of the Davis Police Department on Jan. 20. The photo has recently been deleted, with the suspect now identified as a minor.
Evans shared a brief description of the suspect.
“The suspect is described as a dark-complected male — possibly Spanish or Asian — in his late teens to early 20s,” Evans said. “He was last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a hood pulled up over his head and blue jeans.”
Alexandra Mancia, a second-year biological sciences major who resides in one of the residential buildings on Olive Drive, shared her perspective with The California Aggie.
“I first heard about these incidents a couple days after the [winter] quarter started, through a message sent by my apartment,” Mancia said.
On Jan. 7, Mancia received a message from the apartment management team providing an update to the community. The message noted that the staff received several reports of public exposure incidents and encouraged residents to contact local law enforcement immediately about any suspicious activity. The message concluded with an assurance that there would be increased security patrols and asked recipients to stay vigilant.
“For your safety, please walk in pairs when possible and avoid engaging with unknown individuals,” the message reads.
Evans also shared similar advice in the case of a potential encounter with the suspect.
“Our advice to people who might experience this is to get yourself to a place of safety right away, and then to report it,” Evans said. “The sooner that these incidents are reported directly to our office — meaning our dispatch center — the quicker that we can get officers out into the area to hopefully make contact with the person to at least identify who they are.”
Janelle Alberto, a second-year environmental toxicology major who also resides on Olive Drive, shared her reaction to the incidents.
“It definitely changed how I view my living situation,” Alberto said. “Olive Drive has little light, [so] when the sun goes down it gets extremely dark. You can barely make an idea of who’s coming your way when walking.”
Mancia also reiterated the need to be more careful when walking back from classes.
“Since the incidents occurred right on the street I used to walk home on, I’ve made sure to either walk with someone or — if I am by myself — to be on high alert and always checking my surroundings,” Mancia said.
On Jan. 21, the Davis Police Department posted an update on the investigation on their Facebook profile. The update noted that the suspect had been identified and that an arrest had been made earlier that day.
“The suspect was determined to be a juvenile and no additional information will be disclosed,” the message reads.
Alberto shared her perspective on the arrest, and the desire for more information from the Davis Police Department.
“I feel relieved that the Davis Police [Department] posted a follow-up response,” Alberto said. “We all were feeling unsafe, especially when many front doors [of apartments] are right on the street. […] I feel that not a lot of information was relayed [by the police to] students and residents, aside from that these incidents were happening. It would [have been easier] to be more aware if a description [or photo] was announced earlier.”
For more information, visit the Davis Police Department’s Facebook and X pages.
Written By: Katya Oks — city@theaggie.org
