A La Center child care worker faces a charge of indecent exposure after police say he reportedly masturbated in his vehicle near a shopping center parking lot.
Officers responded to the 13200 block of Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard near the Columbia Square Shopping Center at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday for a report of a male who was reportedly masturbating in a vehicle, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
The vehicle was parked in view of patrons walking by or parked near his vehicle, police said.
Officers located the man, identified as Joshua Deans, 18, of La Center, and arrested him on suspicion of indecent exposure.
Deans is a child care assistant at Southwest Washington Child Care Consortium, according to his Facebook page. He is currently on paid administrative leave, KPTV-TV reported.
In a letter to parents, the agency’s Executive Director Kristi Baker wrote, “We want to assure you we take every precaution to keep kids safe and we want you to feel confident while they are in our care. That’s why we felt it important to let you know about this situation and assure you this employee will not be returning to SWCCC. It is our policy to have two staff members present with children at all times,” according to the TV station’s website.
Police are attempting to locate the original reporting party and other victims who may have witnessed the suspect committing the offenses on Thursday or in the past and didn’t file a police report, police said.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Clark County District Court, a man matching Deans’ description, and in the same vehicle, was reported for the same criminal activity on Tuesday.
Anyone who has information is asked to call Officer Erik Jennings at 360-487-7535.
Jessica Prokop contributed to this report.
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