A 22-year-old man from Monroe, New York, was arrested Friday afternoon after police say he exposed himself to shoppers, including children, inside an Old Navy store at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. Samuel Omitiran is now facing four criminal charges after officers tracked him through the mall and stopped him in the parking lot before he could leave the scene.
The Westfield Garden State Plaza is one of the most visited retail destinations in the New York metropolitan area, drawing millions of shoppers and families each year from Bergen County and beyond.
What happened inside the store
Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti said mall security officers first alerted the Paramus Police Crime-Suppression Unit at approximately 1:40 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of a man causing a disturbance inside the Old Navy location. According to authorities, Omitiran exposed himself to shoppers, including children who were present, and masturbated while standing in the checkout line before fleeing the store. Officers responded immediately and began working to locate the suspect.
How police tracked and stopped him
Crime-Suppression Sgt. Matt McGuire followed Omitiran’s path from inside the store and through the mall into the adjacent parking lot. Patrolman Don Liu spotted Omitiran entering a vehicle in what appeared to be an attempt to leave the area. Officer Liu stopped the vehicle and placed Omitiran under arrest without incident, police said.
The 4 charges Omitiran now faces
Omitiran was charged with four counts following his arrest:
- Endangering the welfare of a child
- Lewdness
- Criminal sexual contact
He was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending his first court appearance. Authorities had not released information regarding the date of that appearance at the time of this report…