Police investigating two indecent exposure incidents in Santa Rosa

Police on Thursday were investigating two reported sightings of a man masturbating on and near the Santa Rosa Junior College campus.

A student called police at about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday and said a man exposed himself near her outside of Lark Hall at the Mendocino Avenue campus, SRJC District Police Chief Robert Brownlee said.

She told police she was sitting at a table outside the hall when she noticed a man near the water fountain was staring at her, but the man walked away, Brownlee said. He then reappeared, about 20 feet away from where she sat, and at that point she noticed his penis was exposed and he was masturbating, police said. She said the man fled after she asked him what was he was doing, officials said. He was last seen heading east on foot through campus.

Officers searched the area but did not find anyone matching his description.

The man was described as about 22 to 24 years old, 5 feet 5 inches tall with a skinny build, thin mustache and as wearing an oversized T-shirt. The witness said he appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent but had no accent, Brownlee said.

About 10 minutes after the first incident, a caller reported a similar sighting to the Santa Rosa Police Department at an apartment complex on Elliot Avenue, police said.

Officers searched the neighborhood without finding a suspect.

Police asked that anyone with information about the case or who may have seen anything suspicious in the area call the district police department at 527-1000.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.