A man has been arrested on charges of perverted sexual assault for allegedly exposing himself to a shopper at a Whole Foods Market. The incident was caught on disturbing video.
Jared Paul Estrada, a 28-year-old from Valencia, was apprehended by sheriff’s deputies in Huntington Beach. He is believed to have committed an act that alarmed customers at the high-end store.
Sergeant Johnson reported that deputies took Estrada into custody without complications. Juan Murales from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Office is looking into the case. Estrada faces charges of indecent and sexual assault, according to Murales.
Murales explained that, “Through a thorough investigation, the Bureau of Detectives and the department’s special team managed to locate the suspect today in Huntington Beach.”
This unsettling series of events started on March 23, when a woman shopping at Whole Foods in Valencia encountered a man who exposed himself and acted inappropriately, all recorded by the store’s surveillance system.
Security footage reveals shocking behavior
The video shows the suspect approaching a woman kneeling to check items on a shelf.
In the footage, the man appears to pull down his pants before pressing his genitals against the woman’s ear while holding what seems to be a smartphone.
The incident caught on camera painted a grim picture as the man made his move on March 23rd.
Authorities sought help from the public to identify the individual in the footage, leading to Estrada’s identification, Murales stated.
“Thanks to community support, we were able to find the suspect,” he added.
A representative from Whole Foods did not provide a comment when approached for a response.
In a previous statement about the incident, a Whole Foods spokesperson expressed, “We are very troubled by the event that took place at our Valencia location on March 23rd.”
“We are fully cooperating with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department during their investigation,” the statement continued. “All requested information has been provided to law enforcement.”
The sheriff’s office mentioned that, at this point, they do not know of any other similar incidents occurring in the Santa Clarita area.
