Arlington Police Investigate Report of Public Masturbation — Again

Arlington County police are investigating a report of a man masturbating outside of a Virginia Square apartment building early Halloween morning.

Such vulgar cases of indecent exposure seem to happening more frequently in Arlington. In the final days of September, police received two reports of public masturbation — in a Pentagon City shoe store and along Arlington Mill Drive as women walked past. October has brought reports of the same thing outside of a Clarendon salon and a Columbia Heights residence.

"We'd love to catch some of these guys," Lt. Mike Watson said.

Watson was trying to determine Thursday if any or all of the incidents could be tied to a small group of individuals. Generally, he said, reports of such acts seem to be concentrated in Arlington's urban centers — the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor and in and around Crystal City.

The latest incident was reported shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday in the 900 block of North Pollard Street.

A woman sitting at an apartment building's concierge noticed the electronic front doors open. She went to find out why and saw a man engaged in the indecent act, Watson said.

The man left, but the woman went back outside a few minutes later and he had returned. She called police, but the man ran away for good by the time they arrived.

"Although he was doing his thing in public, he got scared off when she walked out," Watson said.

Officers searched the area but did not find him.

The man was described as being in his 20s or 30s with "bulging eyes," according to police. He was bald and possibly had facial hair.

At the time of the incident the man was wearing a black coat.