An unhoused individual was reportedly caught publicly masturbating on a bench near the Big City Bagels by Lamden Hall last Thursday morning.
According to the University Police Department, officers responded to a report of a “male with his hand inside his pants,” and proceeded to transport the suspect for a mental health evaluation after their assessment of the scene. While UPD personnel stated that they did not personally observe the individual actively engaged in any sexual activity, BCB employees described a more detailed unfolding of what occurred prior to police intervention.
“There was just a guy when we came to open, and he was resting and sleeping,” Zara Huntington, a third-year SDSU student who was on shift at the time, said. “Then he woke up and he looked around and rubbed his eyes…I was going to go bring him a muffin and some water because he looked a little rough.”
It was then that Huntington said she witnessed the man begin openly masturbating. She called campus police.
Thursday’s incident contributes to a larger trend of reports of unhoused individuals performing acts of sexual self-gratification in SDSU spaces.
“This is the second week in a row I have seen a dude [masturbating] on campus and had to call campus police,” Huntington said. “Last week at the Turtle Pond, this guy was lying there, and then he took off his shirt, and then he unbuttoned his pants.”
When officers arrived at the Turtle Pond on Sept. 15, the individual denied allegations of any lewd conduct and complied when advised to leave campus, according to the UPD.
A similar incident occurred a few days later when a staff member reported witnessing an unhoused individual masturbating in Parking Structure 1, UPD said. The department said officers responded within minutes, but they were unable to locate the suspect and are continuing to investigate the case.
The UPD confirmed that the three events involved separate unhoused individuals all of whom are not affiliated with SDSU.