Perverts, Prowlers & Peepers, Oh My

Earlier this summer, stories about perverts and peeping toms in Davis seemed to pop up weekly. Here are a few examples:  

5/25: 6/1: 6/5: 7/16:

As those headlines piled up, Davis Patch readers started chiming in:

“What’s with this sudden influx of pervs in Davis?” commented Antoinette O’Neill on our Facebook page. “First flashers, now [a guy filming up girls’ skirts].”

"Davis seems to get more than its share of [perverts] peeping and spying on women," wrote Ralph Finch. 

Several of the prowling incidents featured a suspect with the same description: A Hispanic or Middle Eastern male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. It was a vague description, but it was enough for police to wonder if the incidents were connected.

On Monday, police arrested Roberto Molina, 28, who was allegedly caught peeping in windows at the Sycamore Lane Apartments.

CBS News asked Molina on camera if he looked “in any girls’ windows throughout the last few months,” to which Molina responded, "No." And then, "I’m not willing to talk right now. This is weird.”

I spoke with Davis Police Lt. Paul Doroshov a few weeks ago about the apparent spike in prowlers and peepers in town, informing him that readers had been emailing me about it.

This was a few days after Peter Johnson was arrested in downtown Davis for .

“I wouldn’t say that Davis is getting overrun by perverts,” said Doroshov. “It’s a safe community.”

Doroshov had an explanation for the perception of an increase: 

Doroshov said that Davis has always had sporadic incidents like this, and that the apparent spike could have to do with the department's increased communication with the media and with the community via social media.

“We’re working closer with the press,” Doroshov said. “Part of our goal is raising public awareness. We want them to know more so they can tell us more.”

As a reporter in Davis, this explanation rings true to me. When I scan the daily police blotter, I regularly see short entries about “suspicions persons” in dark parking lots or suspects performing “lewd acts.” If the story jumps out, I'll callthe  police and dig deeper.

But some of the incidents are vaguely written or don't appear to be newsworthy, so they don't get the same level of reporting.

The stories about peeping toms and perverts from early this summer were offered up to the press in detail when the police department realized there could be a common suspect in the crimes. This level of cooperation helped provide the community with more information. 

While that heightened level of communication does somewhat explain the spike, that doesn’t mean a problem doesn’t exist in Davis. 

“We get a consistent amount of peepers in Davis,” Doroshov said. “There are a lot of young females here that live alone or with roommates. Apartment complexes make ideal grounds for those kinds of things. There are a lot of windows and it’s easy to get around in the shadows.”

We don't yet know if Roberto Molina had anything to do with the prior incidents, but police are looking into it. We've got a call out to Lt. Doroshov, and as we learn more about the investigation, we'll share. 

• Like Davis Patch on Facebook
• Follow on Twitter
• Get Free Newsletter