Police have arrested a man suspected of breaking into homes and fondling women’s feet while they slept.
Mark Anthony Gonzales is alleged to have gained entry to two condos in the early hours between 1-3 July at a resort in South Lake Tahoe on the Nevada–California border.
Once inside, police say the 26-year-old went into the bedrooms and rubbed the sleeping women’s feet.
On both occasions, the women woke up and confronted him before he fled, according to the Douglas Country Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators used forensics to identify the suspect as Gonzales, a resident of Atwater, California.
Police said Gonzales is known to local law enforcement officials in Atwater and Merced County.
He has been identified as a suspect in multiple crimes involving trespassing, stealing women’s shoes and engaging in sexual self-gratification during some of the incidents.
Investigators said that Gonzales’ crimes appeared to be “escalating in nature” after he was arrested.
Foot-fondling intruder on loose at holiday resort
He was charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of battery.
Gonzales was held in the Merced County Jail on a fugitive warrant and is expected to be extradited to Douglas County.
“I am extremely pleased that my investigators were able to identify, locate, and arrest this individual,” Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley said.
“These types of crimes are especially alarming to a community, and being able to make an arrest allows the victims and community to feel safe again.”