A homeless man on parole allegedly broke into a California woman’s home while she was sleeping and masturbated next to her.
Anthony Romero, a career criminal, is accused of breaking into the victim’s home on 2nd Avenue in Santa Monica around 2 a.m. on February 29th.
When the unidentified woman woke up, 28-year-old Romero was allegedly masturbating next to her bed and touching her face, Lt. Erica Aklufi said. According to Santa Monica Observatory.
The startled woman told Romero to leave, and he fled before police arrived.
Officers obtained surveillance footage to help identify Romero, and found him on Santa Monica Boulevard around 9:30 a.m. the next day, according to the Santa Monica Lookout.
He was charged with robbery, attempted rape, indecent assault and parole, The Lookout reported.
Romero was on parole for violating weapons laws. According to KTLA.
He has previous arrests for shoplifting, public intoxication, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and parole violation, the newspaper said.
Romero is scheduled to return to court in April.
