A 21-year-old man faces an allegation that he exposed himself to a woman at Vancouver Mall in August, and police say he matches the description of a suspect in similar incidents in Battle Ground last month.
Ethan Ambrose Richter of Battle Ground appeared Monday via video in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of indecent exposure. Judge Gregory Gonzales set bail in Richter’s case at $10,000. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a man, later identified by police as Richter, was at the Macy’s store on Aug. 14 when he exposed himself to a woman standing 5 feet away.
A detective with the Vancouver Police Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit obtained video footage from the store to gather suspect information, such as physical appearance and clothing, the affidavit says.
A loss prevention employee at Macy’s told officers that he watched Richter pull out his genitals and walk through the store while no one was around. The employee also said he was positive the same man was involved in an exposure incident there in late July, according to the affidavit.
On Thursday, a man matching the suspect’s description — previously obtained through video footage — tried to steal merchandise from the store but was stopped, according to the affidavit.
The man gave a fake name but provided an email address associated with Richter. Loss prevention photographed the man, who had the word “blessed” tattooed on his right arm, the affidavit says. Authorities say Richter’s booking photos show he has the same tattoo.
Richter was arrested Sunday on an outstanding warrant; he refused to speak to police, court records say.
Law enforcement subsequently searched Richter’s home and found the same clothing he allegedly wore during all of the incidents at Macy’s, according to the affidavit.
Investigators also found clothing that they believe was worn by a suspect wanted in Battle Ground, where officers responded to three reports in a week of a man exposing himself while approaching females. The affidavit says the victim in one of those incidents is a 10-year-old girl.
