On September 5th, at about 7:30 in the morning, a 15-year-old girl was walking to school in the 300 block of N. Cerritos Avenue. The girl passed by a 1997 Nissan Quest van, which was parked along the curb. As she passed, she saw a male, who was later identified as Jose Antonio Lopez (Age 48 from Azusa), seated in the passenger seat of the van. Lopez had exposed himself and was engaged in a sexual act.

Officers from the Azusa Police Department located the vehicle and Lopez, and he was arrested for indecent exposure, which is a misdemeanor. Lopez admitted to committing the crime and was released with a citation to appear in court.

Safety Tips

When dealing with incidents involving indecent exposure and children walking to school, please keep these tips in mind:

• First, sit down and talk with your children about this topic. Make sure they understand the seriousness of it, and they have a plan should they encounter someone like Lopez.
• Children should call 911 immediately to report the crime.
• Since many children now have cell phones, suggest to them to take a picture or video of the suspect and/or their vehicle, ONLY if it can be done discreetly. 
• If they see someone in a vehicle doing in-appropriate acts, they should run to the nearest adult and report what they saw.
• Children should be cautious if they see the same vehicle at different points on their way home. They should notify an adult or parent if this happens.
• Children should never talk to anyone seated in or near a vehicle they don't know.