An arrest was made Tuesday night after a man was caught on camera in a neon work vest approaching a San Bernardino County woman's porch, and the woman said he allegedly sexually battered her outside her home a day earlier.
Yucaipa police released a video showing the man walk up to the woman's home as she sat under a covered porch on 5th Street.
After a brief conversation, the man was accused of touching the victim.
When she tried to walk away, police said the man allegedly sexually battered her.
"He put his hand on my buttocks trying to touch my butt," the 58-year-old victim, who only wanted to be identified as Valerie, said.
Valerie said she tried to escape when he touched her, but he began to follow her, and match her step-by-step.
When she called for her boyfriend to come help, the man, who was not wearing any identification, took off. He did not have a car with him.
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A few doors down, a neighbor said she had just encountered the man in the vest.
She said he wanted to know if she wanted to buy a security system.
"He was asking who was the homeowner and then he showed me some pamphlet -- I didn't pay attention," Chelsea said.
"And then he had asked me, 'Are you married?' and I said, 'Yes, my husband is inside right now.' He was like, 'I'm sorry,' and he walks away real quick."
San Bernardino County Sheriff's investigators said the man may have been using the vest to get people to trust him.
"It appears he dresses this way so that people are comfortable as he approaches them," San Bernardino County Sheriff's Cynthia Bachman said.
The man was described as wearing a work vest covering a shirt and tie, and possibly had a neck tattoo.
Police also described him as being between 40 and 50 years old, about 5-foot 10-inches tall, and weighing 200 pounds.
One person commenting on the police department's Facebook video said he recognized the man, saying he was the same person who tried to talk to the commenter's girlfriend in a park.
"He's going to end up doing something to somebody else who lives by themselves, and I don't want to see that happen. I want to get this guy caught," Douglas, the victim's boyfriend, said.
Anyone who recognizes the man or has information about this case is encouraged to call Yucaipa police at 909-918-2305. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.
