A man accused of breaking into a condo-style resort near Lake Tahoe and fondling sleeping women's feet in the middle of the night has been arrested, authorities said.
The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Mark Anthony Gonzales, who was taken into custody at his home in Atwater, Calif., on Aug. 1, according to a press release from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
Gonzales Entered the Condos Through Unlocked Screen Doors
The alleged incidents took place over the Fourth of July weekend at the resort condominiums in Stateline, Nev., authorities said.
"During the early morning hours between July 1-3, 2023, an adult male entered two Stateline resort condominiums by opening unlocked screen doors," the DCSO statement alleged.
"Once inside, he positioned himself at the foot of the bed and rubbed the feet of two separate adult females. Each female awoke from their sleep as the subject was rubbing their feet. Once awake the females confronted the male subject and he fled the scene," the statement continued.
The two women's rooms were on the ground floor, according to an earlier news release from the DCSO, and at the time, authorities advised the public to secure their exterior doors.
The sheriff's office said they were eventually able to identify Gonzales through "forensic techniques." Gonzales was booked into the Merced County Jail on two counts of burglary and two counts of battery. He will be held on a fugitive warrant with $50,000 bail until he is extradited back to Douglas County, Nev.
Gonzales was Notorious for Stealing Women's Shoes, Tresspassing, Sexual Self-Gratification
Investigators with the DSCO said Gonzales was known to local authorities in the Merced County area and was the suspect of numerous crimes, including "the theft of women's shoes, trespassing, and sexual self-gratification during some of these incidents." Authorities say it appeared Gonzales' alleged crimes were escalating in nature.
"I am extremely pleased that my Investigators were able to identify, locate, and arrest this individual," Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley said in the release. "These types of crimes are especially alarming to a community, and being able to make an arrest allows the victims and community to feel safe again."
