SAN MARCOS, Texas — The San Marcos Police Department (SMD) has arrested a man who they believe is behind a sexual assault and Peeping Tom incidents at an apartment complex.
In a matter of two days, San Marcos police said they received at least four reports involving a man, identified by police as 31-year-old Patrick Mendoza, at Copper Beech, an apartment complex in the city.
On Halloween, a woman reported to police that she got a video from a neighbor that appeared to show a stranger, later identified as Mendoza, looking into her bedroom window. Police said he appeared to watch the partially undressed woman for several seconds before running away.
KVUE tracked down the neighbor who owned the footage. She did not want to show her face or share her name, to protect her safety.
“It’s honestly terrifying to feel like you can’t be in your home at all alone, especially when you’re young, when you’re in college and you don’t know,” the neighbor said. “I haven’t been sleeping in my house for the last two weeks. I barely come home.”
Early the next morning, on Nov. 1, a resident in a different building of the apartment complex reported seeing a man outside of a ground floor apartment window. He appeared to be watching the woman, who was sitting at a desk with the blinds open. Police said the man ran away when officers arrived.
Later that day, San Marcos police received reports of sexual assault at the same complex.
On Friday, police were alerted about Mendoza returning to San Marcos after a license plate reader detected his license plate entering the city just before 2:30 a.m.
Police tracked Mendoza to the complex and established a perimeter before finding him hiding in the bushes. He then attempted to flee the scene, first on foot and then in a vehicle.
After a vehicle pursuit, police were able to arrest Mendoza just before 3 a.m. Friday.
Mendoza is currently being held in the Hays County Jail and has been charged with Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Other Felony, Sexual Assault, Indecent Assault, Felony Evading in a Motor Vehicle, two counts of Evading on Foot and Possession of Marijuana.
Detectives in San Marcos had also been working with probation officers in Bexar County, where Mendoza is currently on probation for previous charges related to indecent exposure.
Anyone with any additional information about incidents like these is asked to call the San Marcos Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 512-753-2300.