Alleged SLO prowler tied to 4 peeping incidents since February, DA’s Office says
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has submitted six charges against a man they say prowled outside three homes and one business and peeped in on the unsuspecting occupants.
According to the San Luis Obispo Police Department, the man was caught outside a business in November as detectives were staked out in a neighborhood in response to reports of a man peering through women’s windows while they got ready for bed.
Prosecutors drafted a criminal complaint Monday against San Luis Obispo resident Juan Francisco Rodriguez Espino, charging him with six misdemeanor counts of prowling and peeping.
That complaint was in process of being filed late Monday, assistant district attorney Eric Dobroth said.
Rodriguez Espino has not yet made a court appearance to enter a plea. Dobroth said an arraignment has been tentatively scheduled for Jan. 27.
According to the complaint provided by Dobroth, Rodriguez Espino is suspected of committing the crimes in four incidents dating back to February.
Prosecutors say they have evidence tying Rodriguez Espino to an incident Feb. 9 in which there were two alleged victims. Another incident Oct. 23 alleges a third victim, and a third incident is alleged to have occurred Nov. 15 against one victim.
Rodriguez Espino is also suspected of prowling on the property of Central Coast Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the 900 block of Boysen Avenue on Nov. 25 and 26.
If convicted of each count, the 35-year-old faces a maximum of four years in San Luis Obispo County Jail.
San Luis Obispo police arrested Rodriguez Espino late the night of Nov. 26 as detectives conducted surveillance near Central Coast Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and watched him hide in bushes near a window, according a Nov. 27 police news release.
Rodriguez Espino had previously been identified as a suspect after evidence recovered from one alleged peeping incident in the area was reported to the police department on Nov. 17, the release said.
During the three prior incidents — which the department said were believed to be “sexually motivated” — different women preparing for bed were targeted by a male suspect, police said.
All the incidents occurred in the area surrounding the 800 block of Boysen Avenue, according to police.
Rodriguez Espino was booked into County Jail on Nov. 27 in lieu of $10,000 bail, and was released later that day after posting bail, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla said Monday.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department reminds residents, especially the student population, to “remain vigilant about their personal safety and to immediately report any suspicious activity.”
The department is asking residents with information about Rodriguez Espino or any suspected prowling incidents in the city to call detectives at 805-781-7312 or call Crime Stoppers at 805-549-STOP.
