Man charged with masturbating in public: police

PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA – A homeless Petaluma man was arrested Sunday morning on suspicion of public masturbation, police said.

At around 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, several community members reported passing by a man masturbating in public on Hopper Street, south of Caulfield Lane.

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Officers responded and found a man matching the description, Seth King, a 29-year-old homeless Petaluma resident.

It was discovered that several vehicles and pedestrians had passed King while he was masturbating before police arrived, said Petaluma Police Sergeant Garrett Glaviano.

Due to King’s recent conduct, a bail increase was requested and granted, the sergeant said.

King was later booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of public indecency.

“The Petaluma Police Department works with its service providers and members of the Riverfront community to clear the Caulfield Lane and Hopper Street area of ​​unlawful acts, disturbances and debris,” Glaviano said. “Incidents like this are not representative of the environment we strive for. We want to thank the community members who called to report this incident, which ultimately led to the arrest of this individual.”