Sexual Battery, Burglary Suspect Arrested Per Mountain View Cops

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- A Mountain View man was arrested Wednesday night in connection with two sexual batteries that had been reported in the downtown area the night before trying to break into a home.

Felipe de Jesus Meza Prieto, 52, was taken into custody on suspicion of sexual batter, burglary and assault with intent to commit a felony.

Around 5:20 p.m. on Jan. 9, officers responded to a 911 call on the 500 block of Central Avenue for reports that a man had just attempted to push his way into a home. When our officers arrived, the woman who lived at the home said just moments before our arrival, she had heard a loud pounding on her door. When she looked out to see who it was, she noticed the peephole was covered. When she slightly opened her door to see who was outside, a man tried to push his way inside.

Fortunately, the woman was able to close the door and call us. One of our officers who responded to the call spotted a man who matched the suspect description at Central and Santa Rosa avenues. When the officer stopped the man, he immediately recognized that the man also matched the description of a sexual battery suspect who had inappropriately touched at least two women in the downtown area the night before. In those cases, we received reports that between 5:30 p.m. and 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 8, a man had grabbed at least two women and continued walking down Castro Street.

“I want to commend our patrol officer’s quick thinking in connecting this man to the crimes we had begun investigating not even 24 hours before,” Sgt. Dan Vicencio said. “Every person should feel safe in Mountain View, and no one should be subjected to what Prieto did to the women this week.”

Detectives believe there may be additional victims in sexual batteries and in cases in which Prieto has attempted to force his way into a home. Anyone who may be a victim, or know someone who may be a victim, can contact Vicencio at dan.vicencio@mountainview.gov.

--Image courtesy of Mountain View Police Department