- April 19, 2024
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A serial flasher who exposed himself to a women in the parking lot of the University Town Center area has been apprehended by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office after a prior arrest in Manatee County.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office today announced it has arrested 20-year-old Jacob Martinez, of Bradenton for exposing sexual organs. Bond is set at $25,000 with no contact.
On Jan. 31, 2015 around 7 p.m. a woman reported an incident of indecent exposure in the parking lot of the Super Target at 101 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota. She reported a male in a Volkswagen followed her in the parking lot and masturbated in front of her. She left the area and did not speak with responding deputies.
In March, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release seeking potential other victims of a “serial flasher” named Jacob Martinez, who was arrested and charged with four counts of indecent exposure.
The three incidents had occurred since Jan. 24 with all three in East County and two in Lakewood Ranch. The first incident occurred in the 4500 block of 53rd Ave., E., Bradenton, in a parking lot. The second incident took place when a 49-year-old woman was jogging on River Club Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch. The suspect is accused of pulling his car next to the victim and exposing himself.
The third incident again involved a female jogger, this time on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. Again the suspect was accused with pulling his car next to the victim and exposing himself.
Arrest warrants were obtain on March 3 and Martinez turned himself in the following day and bonded out of jail.
Following publicity of the serial flasher, the victim of the Jan. 31 Sarasota incident came forward, identifying Martinez as the man who had flashed her as well, and the sheriff’s office established probable cause to merit his arrest.
Sheriff's Office detectives believe more incidents may have occurred and they ask anyone with information to call the Sheriff's Office’s Criminal Investigations Section at 861-4934.
