Exclusive: Midtown Sacramento woman details how she helped police capture alleged creeper
SACRAMENTO — Midtown Sacramento residents have been on edge for weeks after several victims reported someone staring into their windows late at night. Now, an arrest could be a major break in the hunt for this peeping Tom who has been terrorizing the area.
In an exclusive interview, one victim, only identified by her first name, Ashley, is telling us how she helped cops nab the alleged creeper.
"It was scary," she said.
It was just before midnight and Ashley was in her midtown apartment with her five-month-old son when she sensed something was wrong.
"I had the mother's instinct that someone was outside that wasn't supposed to be there," she said.
Ashley looked out the window and saw a stranger staring back.
"He looked right at me in the blinds," she said.
Ashley called 9-1-1 and officers spotted the suspect nearby at 25th and O Streets.
Police say, after a brief struggle, they arrested 30-year-old Milo Monjaraz for peeping into a residence and resisting arrest along with outstanding warrants for drugs and grand theft.
"I am glad that that person has been caught," Ashley said.
Investigators say she's not the only victim.
Over the last few weeks, they have responded to several reports of similar crimes in the central part of the city. Last week, they released a surveillance photo of a suspect.
"A lot of this stuff has been going on in the neighborhood," Ashley said.
Police say they are still working to determine if Monjaraz is responsible for the other midtown peeping cases. Detectives are still actively investigating those crimes.
"There's been a little bit more police around the area," Ashley said.
She says she takes some precautions to stay safe.
"The only thing is to have some mace on you and have your phone on you at all times," she said.
But now this crime has her thinking about moving out of midtown.
"Honestly, yeah, but right now, I'm just trying to save until we move to a better neighborhood," Ashley said.
Monjaraz remains behind bars and is not eligible for bail. He is set to appear in court Friday afternoon.
Police urge people to try and discourage these types of crimes by increasing exterior lighting and trimming away hedges and trees that can create hiding spaces for criminals.
