PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (EYT) — A local man faces misdemeanor charges after police responded to a report of a lewd act in a grocery store parking lot.
According to a criminal complaint, 77-year-old Jesus Jasso, of Punxsutawney, was charged following an incident on Sunday, June 21. The Punxsutawney Borough Police Department filed the following charges against him, according to court records:
- Open Lewdness, Misdemeanor 3
- Disorderly Conduct, Summary
Police say the incident occurred between 11:15 a.m. and 11:25 a.m. at the Punxsy Plaza.
The criminal complaint states that a woman reported observing a man masturbating in a pickup truck. The woman told police she was loading groceries into her vehicle when she noticed a man staring at her from a black Chevrolet truck, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit of probable cause notes that the woman saw the man performing the lewd act while she sat in her own vehicle. The woman took a photograph of the truck’s license plate as she pulled away, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the vehicle was registered to Jasso. The witness later identified Jasso from a photograph provided by police, the affidavit states.
Detective Ryan Miller of the Punxsutawney Borough Police Department stated in the affidavit that he interviewed Jasso at his residence. When questioned about the incident, Jasso stated that he was not hurting anybody, according to the complaint.
The affidavit states that Jasso apologized after the detective told him such actions are not permitted in public. Jasso stated that he was “sorry for doing that” and mentioned that he lived alone and felt lonely, the complaint continues.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 31 at 10:15 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock.
