Man, 46, arrested after report of indecent exposure in Waterford Township
A 46-year-old man is in custody after a woman reported indecent exposure in Waterford Township, Michigan, on Thursday, police said.
Officers were called to the Waterford Oaks County Park for the report around 1:30 p.m. The woman, 40, told them she was in her vehicle with the driver's door open when she saw an SUV parked several spaces away, according to police. Several minutes later, the SUV moved right next to her vehicle.
Police said the woman shut her door because she felt uncomfortable when the SUV parked near her. The driver of the SUV, identified by the woman as a heavy-set man with a bushy beard, exited the vehicle, opened the driver's door of the woman's vehicle and fondled himself with his pants down to his knees, according to officials.
The woman was fearful the man was going to assault her, police said. She put her arm up "in a defensive manner" and pushed him out of her doorway before closing and locking her door. She told the officers the man then went back into the SUV and left the park.
According to police, the woman told the officers the license plate number on the SUV. Officials said they confirmed the suspect vehicle was a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe with the help of a Flock camera, which recorded an image of the SUV as it was entering the park. The device captures license plates and other information from passing vehicles.
Law enforcement said the Tahoe is registered to a home in Sterling Heights.
Investigators placed an alert on the plate number and "received a hit" around 3 p.m. from a Flock camera in the area of 15 Mile and Utica roads in Clinton Township, Michigan, near the address of the Chevrolet's registered owner, according to officials. The Sterling Heights Police Department was notified and later arrested the 46-year-old man at the Sterling Heights home.
Sterling Heights officers discovered duct tape, rope and zip ties inside the Tahoe after arresting the man, officials said.
According to police, the man is charged with one count each of aggravated indecent exposure and fourth-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct.
"The victim in this case is to be commended for being aware of her surroundings and being alert with her observations of the suspect vehicle," the Waterford Police Department said in a news release Saturday. "She also had the presence of mind to get the license plate number and provide that information to responding Officers."
Investigators are working with nearby police agencies to learn whether similar incidents have been reported in other communities.
