Mesquite police are asking for the community’s help in identifying an alleged “peeping Tom” lurking near residences in one neighborhood.
A man was captured on surveillance footage peering into windows and attempting to open doors at homes in the area of Motley and Interstate 30. There have been eight to 10 reports of similar incidents in just the last three weeks, all occurring in the nighttime hours in the same general vicinity.
The man may be involved in a previous case the department documented in September 2022, according to Aaron Paredes, an officer with the Mesquite Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit, per NBC 5.
“We have footage of him actually crawling on the floor trying to peep inside and look inside residences,” said Parades, NBC 5 reported. “We also have footage of him turning off the lights or making sure the lights are off while attempting to open the doors of houses.”
While it is unclear what the man’s intentions may be, police are asking residents in the neighborhood to stay alert.
“Right now we don’t know if he’s targeting specific victims, we don’t know exactly what his motives are and who he’s actually targeting, we just know it’s been a family before and women,” Paredes told NBC 5.
The Mesquite Police Department posted pictures on its Facebook page of the “suspicious subject” captured in the video footage. The post has been shared hundreds of times.
The statement accompanying the photos asks anyone who recognizes the subject to call Mesquite Dispatch at 972-216-6336 or email detectives at [email protected].
Danny Hiser, a local resident, told NBC 5 that he had heard about the incidents and had seen the photos of the subject.
“Well, it’s not good. He’s bound to get shot, you know, looking in people’s windows,” he told NBC 5.
Other social media users echoed that sentiment. One commenter, MrsRhonda Jones, wrote, “somebody will give him what he’s looking for and MPD won’t have to worry about him anymore.”
Elsewhere in Texas, the Huntsville police recently arrested an alleged “panty pirate” who had been seen lurking outside a local apartment complex. The man allegedly entered the apartment homes of several women and stole their underwear and other personal items, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
More serious crimes in Dallas have continued to occur unrestrained, according to the most recently available statistics. As of May 1, there have been 95 murders in the first four months of 2023, a 23.4% increase over the same period last year.
The crime problem in Dallas has been exacerbated by the chronic shortage of police officers. The department needs hundreds more officers, according to Police Chief Eddie Garcia. Other municipalities, such as Fort Worth, have curbed crime in their downtown areas by adding dedicated police units to patrol their city centers.
