SANTA CRUZ (BCN) — Felton resident Timothy William Maness, 28, was arrested Thursday afternoon after reportedly confessing to authorities he enjoyed video recording or photographing females from outside their residences, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department.
Santa Cruz police had been alerted to the suspect’s activity after he apparently attempted to enter the home of a 19-year-old Santa Cruz woman and University of California at Santa Cruz student on Tuesday, police said.
At about 9:10 p.m. the woman noticed a man looking through a window of her home in the 100 block of Palo Verde Terrace, according to police. Police said the suspect had removed some boards to a fence surrounding a secure patio area and was inside the patio area looking through the window.
The man opened the window and reached inside to enter the residence when the victim screamed and pointed a flashlight at the man, according to police. Apparently, the suspect then tried to enter through a sliding glass door and failed.
Police said the victim fled her home and confronted the suspect inside the patio area and took several photos of him. The suspect then fled the area, police said.
Thursday afternoon, Maness went to the Santa Cruz Police Department and identified himself as the subject in the photos earlier released by police. However, the suspect did not admit to the offense above, rather telling a different story, according to police. After an extensive interview with Santa Cruz police detectives, the suspect admitted to the offense above as well as other criminal offenses in recent months.
Subsequently, Maness was arrested on suspicion of burglary, stalking, peeping and video recording while peeping, said police.
Santa Cruz police said they are looking into similar cases in the last four to six months in Palo Verde Terrace, Peach Terrace and Castillion Terrace. Police said the victims in the other cases only saw the suspect’s feet or the top of their head and not the suspect’s face. The Santa Cruz Police Department encourages these potential victims to contact the Investigations Section at 831-420-5820.
Community members are encouraged by police to take certain safety precautions regarding the privacy of their homes. In the evening when it is dark outside and lights are lit inside residences, people can see in while people inside cannot see out, police said. Also be aware of what type of blinds you have in your home, police suggested. Cloth or sheer blinds are easy to see through in the evening when lights are turned on and it is dark outside. Police encourage residents to have opaque blinds and keep them closed in the evenings.
Anonymous tips can be sent to the police department through its Tip Line 831-420-5995, or from the department’s website: SantaCruzPolice.com.