Man peering into windows has some on edge in Howard Avenue
area
Gilroy – Lauren Larsen is having trouble sleeping at night. The 22-year-old has become increasingly paranoid about a prowler in her Howard Avenue neighborhood after witnessing a strange man peering into her home.
“Over the course of about a year, we’ve a had a few instances of someone looking into the windows,” she said.
The most recent incident occurred Wednesday, March 15 when her mother, who was lying in bed about 4:45am, saw a man crouch down by her bedroom window. The man fled once he saw Lauren’s father approaching.
“I get the feeling that he’s a peeping Tom,” she said. “But I’m not going to assume he’s just a peeping Tom. It could turn into something else.”
Police stress that if neighbors see a suspicious individual in the neighborhood to call them immediately. According to the Megan’s Law web site, there are no registered sex offenders living in the neighborhoods adjacent to Howard Avenue.
In January, Larsen was washing the dishes about 6am when the prowler showed up for a second time. The first instance occurred in November of 2004, when she was sitting at her desk doing homework.
“A shadow fell across the floor. I thought it was just someone walking on the sidewalk,” she said. “I could feel it getting closer and I was staring out the window and slowly a head creeped up.”
The man took off running down the street. He returned 10 minutes later, prompting her to call the police.
Larsen and her brother distributed fliers last week, warning neighbors in their usually quiet community about the prowler. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male about 22 to 25 years old, 5-feet, 8-inches tall, with short hair and an average build.
She is not certain if the man is the same individual responsible for peeping in the other two instances.
“At night, I can’t go to sleep,” she said. “Getting home from work, I have to call my parents to meet me outside. I’m scared to go into my house at night. It’s so scary not knowing if there’s someone on the other side of the window. I don’t feel safe in my own home and that’s sad.”
According to Larsen, an elderly neighbor reported that a man came to her back door one evening and fled when she opened the blinds.
Since 2004, there have been 24 calls to the Gilroy Police Department reporting suspicious individuals, three calls for trespassing, and three calls for service from the Larsens regarding prowlers in the Howard Avenue neighborhood. Police have not found the suspect upon arriving to the scene – only footprints by the windows indicating that someone was there.
“When I’m by myself it’s freaky,” said Cherie Goodman, who moved to the neighborhood in January to live with her mother.
Last month, Sergio Avila moved to Silvia Street, which runs perpendicular to Howard Avenue. When he returns home from work at night he looks down the street for any activity.
Police recommend that neighbors consider forming a neighborhood watch and make it a habit to call the moment they notice something suspicious.
“As soon as (you) see someone, give us a call. We can send someone out to determine whether a legitimate crime has been committed,” said Sgt. Kurt Svardal. “If there’s a lot more going on in the neighborhood then we need to know.”
