GIG HARBOR, Wash. — Gig Harbor police say they arrested a 32-year-old man Wednesday who had been sexually harassing women over several days, culminating in an incident in which he exposed himself to a woman in a Gig Harbor parking lot.
That woman managed to get his license plate number, and police traced the car to the man’s workplace, where he was arrested on April 28. After he made bail, police arrested him a second time.
Police chief Kelly Busey told The Gateway that his department was concerned about the trajectory of incidents.
“We were worried about his escalating behavior, even over those three days,” Busey said.
Police say the first incident took place on Monday, April 26 at 12:30 p.m., when the suspect followed an 18-year-old woman from a gas station on Wollochet Drive in Gig Harbor to a nearby school. The woman reported that he made a sexually suggestive comment before departing.
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Around the same time Tuesday afternoon, a 17-year-old girl reported that she was being followed after leaving a business near Borgen Boulevard in Gig Harbor. She said the man pursued her in a vehicle that police said appeared to match the one from the day before. She drove to a location she thought would be safe, only for the man to drive alongside and threaten to sexually assault her.
On Wednesday afternoon near Point Fosdick Drive in Gig Harbor, police say the same man exposed himself to a 35-year-old woman sitting in her car in a parking lot. This came after he had made several unwelcome attempts to ask her for a date. He fled after exposing himself, though not before the woman was able to get his license plate number. Police located the vehicle at the man’s workplace, where he was arrested.
Police say the man admitted to the three incidents and was booked into jail on charges of assault in the fourth degree with sexual motivation and indecent exposure.
Busey said the suspect posted bail around 11:30 p.m. that same night, but he was arrested again Thursday after police appealed to a judge for a bail hearing.
“We went to the judge and indicated that we believe he is an escalating public safety risk and asked that the judge issue a warrant to have him remanded for a proper bail hearing,” Busey said Thursday morning. “We just again picked him up like five minutes ago.”
He said the next hearing will be within 48 hours, whenhe thinks “a different bail will be set.”
Busey said women approached or harassed should seek safety and call 911.
“If someone feels that they’re being approached by someone who makes them feel uncomfortable, try to remove yourself safely from the situation and get to a populated area, a safe area,” Busey said. “If you’re able to call 911 to report something like that, let the dispatchers know what is going on and we will gladly respond.”
Persons with information about these or similar incidents may contact Det. Tray Federici at (253) 853-2421.
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