Mom Caught Man Masturbating Outside School, Cops Say

A 33-year-old Sarasota man faces criminal charges after deputies say he was caught masturbating in the parking lot of Phillippi Shores Elementary School Wednesday afternoon.

The act was witnessed by a mother who arrived at the school to pick up her 8-year-old son, an arrest report stated. When she returned to her vehicle and sat down, she noticed a person in the vehicle next to hers masturbating while looking at elementary school-age cheerleaders practicing outside.

The mom, the report stated, “became very nervous, not believing what she was seeing and started to say ‘oh my god, oh my god’ repeatedly.” As she did, the man looked over at her and proceeded to cease the activity.

At that point, the mom notified school officials who wrote down the man’s license plate number and gave it to deputies. The woman’s son was in her car at the time of the incident, but was not able to see what had alarmed his mother, the report noted.

After receiving the report, deputies caught up with the man Wednesday afternoon at his home where he was found with his wife and two minor children. When the man was found to be wearing the same clothing as described in the incident and was positively identified by the witness, he was brought into custody, the report said.

Following the arrest, the man told deputies that perhaps his accuser “did not like Hispanics,” the report said. When he was told the woman was Hispanic, the man “appeared very nervous and kept taking deep breaths.”

The man could offer no further explanation, the report noted.

Jose Estrada-Catalan was booked into the Sarasota County Jail on one count of lewd and lascivious exhibition. He was released Thursday in lieu of $7,500 bond.

Booking photo courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office