Long Beach police on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of masturbating while sitting in his car and following teen girls and women around in Wrigley, North and East Long Beach since at least October of last year, officials said.
Detectives believe 34-year-old David Leon Lopez of Long Beach would frequently drive around the city in a silver Ford Mustang performing lewd acts in his car. He was arrested on suspicion of lewd acts and indecent exposure and is being held on $75,000 bail.
Police said they started investigating when people reported a social media post of an indecent exposure incident on May 10.
“Through follow up investigation, victim evidence, and the information obtained from the social media post detectives were able to connect the suspect’s vehicle to six other incidents in the city of Long Beach,” police said.
Police say they’ve connected the suspect to five incidents throughout the city, but believe there are more victims.
- On Oct. 1, 2019, police received reports of a man sitting in his car while masturbating in the area of Wardlow Road and Golden Avenue in Wrigley Heights, but the car was gone by the time police got there.
- On the same day, police were also called to the area of Hardin Street and Atlantic Avenue in North Long Beach where a 17-year-old girl and 21-year-old woman reported a man was following them in his car while masturbating. Police were unable to find the car.
- On May 25, a woman reported being outside her home near Spring Street and Studebaker Road in East Long Beach when a man drove up and began masturbating in his car.
- On July 9, a 15-year-old girl reported a man exposed himself in a car in the area of Atherton Street and Palo Verde Avenue, near Cal State Long Beach.
- On Aug. 2, a woman walking in the area of Palo Verde Avenue and Spring Street in East Long Beach reported a man matching the same description as in the other incidents was following her.
Police believe there may be other victims who have yet to come forward.
Lopez is described as a Hispanic man with black hair, brown eyes, glasses and a mustache. He drove around in a silver 2018 Ford Mustang with a California license plate #8GFE158.
Police ask that anyone with information on Lopez or the vehicle to contact the drug investigations section at 562-570-5550 or anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or www.lacrimestoppers.org.