Man Accused Of Ejaculating Onto Women In Walmart, Safeway Stores

AMERICAN CANYON, CA — An Oakland man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of committing lewd acts inside a Walmart store in Napa County.

Officers with the American Canyon Police Department were dispatched at 7 p.m. Monday to a report of lewd acts at Walmart, 7011 Main St. in American Canyon.

Officers were told that a man — later identified as 27-year-old Christian Roberts — had come in close proximity of a female shopper and her two small children, twice, police said in a news release.

"Immediately after the second confrontation with the victim, Roberts walked up behind the female and made contact with her upper buttocks," police said. "The victim said Roberts immediately apologized for touching her. However, the female victim felt a liquid substance on her clothing after Roberts made contact."

Roberts left the Walmart store before officers got there.

However, when the American Canyon Police Department reviewed Walmart surveillance it showed Roberts masturbating behind the victim and ejaculating semen onto her clothing, police said.

Investigators identified the suspect as Roberts and learned he had an active warrant for his arrest for a similar suspected incident in Palo Alto.

American Canyon police officers and Napa County sheriff’s detectives identified a vehicle in the 500 block of Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo, where they believed Roberts was staying.

Roberts was taken into custody at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday by the Napa Special Investigations Bureau and sheriff's detectives.

"During an interview with detectives, Roberts admitted to his acts committed at Walmart," police said in the news release.

Roberts was booked into Napa County jail on suspicion of misdemeanor sexual battery, indecent exposure, and annoy/molest children. His bail was set at $100,000.

Palo Alto Shopper Reports Sex Crime In Self Check-Out Line

The booking charges against Roberts included offenses from the lewd conduct case in January in Palo Alto, as well as a similar lewd conduct case in Santa Clara in February, Palo Alto police said Wednesday.

In the Palo Alto incident, police responded Jan. 27 to a report of a sex crime that took place the previous day at Safeway, 2811 Middlefield Road. The victim, a woman in her 20s, reported that she was ringing up her groceries in the self-check-out line when she notice a man standing very close behind her.

Another man approached them and told the victim that the suspect had been following her and taking pictures of her, police said. The man yelled at the suspect and the victim quickly left the store, scared.

"Once outside, she noticed what she believed to be biological fluid on the back of her shirt and pants," police said.

Palo Alto police worked reviewed surveillance video of the incident with Safeway management and the footage showed the suspect masturbating while standing immediately behind the victim.

"The suspect appeared to be fully clothed at the time and was discreetly masturbating, such that his actions may not be immediately obvious to a passerby," police said.

Shortly after the verbal confrontation with the unidentified man, the suspect left the store.

Meanwhile, Palo Alto police distributed a news release along with a flier with the suspect's image.

After the news release went out, a woman in her 40s contacted the Police Department to report that the same man had followed her around the Palo Alto Safeway on Jan. 26.

Through the ensuing investigation, Palo Alto detectives identified the suspect as Roberts of Oakland. Detectives connected Roberts to a similar crime Feb. 13 at a grocery store in Santa Clara, and submitted the completed case to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for review.

On April 14, Palo Alto police obtained an arrest warrant for Roberts charging him with sexual battery, battery, and indecent exposure —all misdemeanors — for the suspected incidents in Palo Alto and Santa Clara.

Detectives were not able to find Roberts — until they learned of Monday's incident in American Canyon.

Palo Alto detectives worked closely with investigators from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, who ultimately identified Roberts as the suspect in the American Canyon case.