“I’m urging everyone to be vigilant, look out for one another, and do our best to keep each other safe.”

“Dear PoPville,

I wanted to make readers aware of a slew of peeping incidents happening lately.

A close friend of mine who lives near 17th and U St, NW woke up on her couch last night around 3am and realized a man was sitting on her porch and staring in at her.

A hat and scarf covering his features made it challenging to describe him beyond being a bigger guy, and probably under middle aged. Less than two weeks ago, I caught a man staring down into my apartment at me from a nearby rooftop (in Columbia Heights near 11st St corridor). He was probably 30s-40s and a medium/average build and was there at late hours of the night, as well as during the day. Neither one met the description that a reader in Columbia Heights recently shared of the man who masturbated outside her window. So these appear to be 3 separate creepers.

I also want to add that in both cases, once the men were aware they had been spotted, they did not budge at all or react- they kept staring in. This is such an added level of (infuriating) audacity.

As we try to return to some sense of “normal” with warmer weather and loosening restrictions, it would be really nice if women could feel safe from the constant leering and harassment of men, out in public and especially in our own homes. It’s upsetting and violating, to say the least.

I’m urging everyone to be vigilant, look out for one another, and do our best to keep each other safe.

Sincerely,
Exhausted Woman”

Ed. Note: Today I just received another email from a reader:

“I wanted to provide some additional information about your post from one of your readers regarding the sexual predator in Columbia Heights in my neighborhood on Holmead Place NW since a very similar incident happened to me last night at 1:20am when a man matching the same description as the previous incident walked up to my porch in the 3500 block of Holmead and pressed his face up to my window where I was sitting in my living room on the other side of the window. Thankfully, after reading the story from the woman who this already happened to, I quickly recognized the man and was able to scream at him to get him to leave my porch. However, he was very slow to leave while I called the police and then proceeded to go to my neighbors porch and expose himself before my partner opened the door and also screamed at him that the police were on their way and he left. The police were somewhat quick to respond and began canvassing for him with my description. I also filed a report for indecent exposure. Later that night I was told that they made an arrest based on various outstanding warrants that he already had and I am now trying to verify that it is the same man that I saw in my window. The US Attorney General has also told me that they are trying to keep him in custody while he awaits a hearing, but that it may be dependent upon Covid and the judge hearing the case.

There is a further update regarding his hearing today. He was not held and has been released with an ankle monitor and ordered to stay away from the 3500 block of Holmead. If anyone sees him, especially on our block, we were told to alert the police immediately.

It was definitely a scary experience and I am extreme grateful to your other reader for sharing her story so I was ready to act quickly and prevent it from being an even more creepy incident.”