A 21-year-old university student says she has “never felt so violated” after CCTV allegedly showed a known peeping Tom climbing over her fence and watching her through her bedroom window as she changed into a Halloween costume.
Talia Behrens, a Loyola Marymount University (LMU) student in Westchester, Los Angeles, told KTLA she has been left living in fear since the incident. “I’ve never felt like that before. I’ve never felt that violated,” she said.
Surveillance captures the suspect
The incident unfolded as Behrens was trying on her costume inside her home, when her outdoor motion floodlight suddenly switched on. Moments later, a neighbour messaged her with an urgent warning.
“Hey, there was a man staring at your window, watching you for well over four minutes,” the text message said, according to Behrens. Surveillance footage shows the suspected peeping Tom – wearing a grey long-sleeve top and white cap – climbing over her backyard fence at around 8.30pm before walking from window to window, apparently trying to peer inside for several minutes.
Police issue community alert
Behrens contacted police, but the man had already vanished, the New York Post reported. The Los Angeles Police Department later issued a community alert as the suspect remains on the loose.
Authorities describe the suspect as a 58-year-old Hispanic man with a distinctive bow-legged walk, standing 5ft 9in (175cm) and weighing around 210lb (95kg). Police say he drives a gold 2002 GMC Yukon, sometimes with a trailer attached.
“Please remain vigilant - lock doors/windows, keep exterior lights on, and report suspicious activity,” the LAPD said. Behrens claims locals already know who he is, and that this isn’t the first time students have been targeted on the same street.
Students take precautions
“He’s been arrested previously on our street with LMU women,” she said. “He hopped over into their backyard, broke a glass door, and was arrested. And he’s been seen on the street right behind us.”
Behrens and her roommates say they are now sleeping with makeshift weapons to protect themselves and warn others. “It’s almost like quivering. My mouth starts to get dry. I’m just nervous about who’s around,” she said. “So, we have baseball bats, hockey sticks, we have bear spray.”
Behrens and her friends have also started distributing flyers around the neighbourhood to keep the local student community vigilant while police continue their search.
