Indecency suspect is arrested near school

11/8/2006

A West Toledo man convicted of public indecency in August was arrested yesterday after he nearly drove into students on a sidewalk while trying to flee a parent who caught him exposing himself outside a Washington Local elementary school, authorities said.

Steven M. Nowak, 35, of 4648 Talmadge Rd., Apt. 3C, was being held in the Lucas County jail last night pending arraignment today on two counts of indecent exposure in the presence of a juvenile and one count of violating the safe school ordinance.

All of the charges, filed in Toledo Municipal Court, are misdemeanors.

Two of the charges stem from the incident yesterday at McGregor Elementary, 3535 McGregor Lane. The third is for a previous exposure incident Sept. 16 at Harvest and Rambo lanes near the school, police said.

Both times, the suspect exposed himself from his vehicle, police said.

Mr. Nowak was seen in his car in front of McGregor Elementary about 8:50 a.m. yesterday, staring at students. A parent approached his car and found the suspect pulling up his pants, authorities said. Mr. Nowak fled the area, driving over part of the sidewalk where students were walking, court records state.

Witnesses got the license plate number, and police located Mr. Nowak at his apartment. He later told police he was "adjusting himself on his way home from work," Sgt. Sam Harris said.

The sergeant said there were similar incidents at schools in the West Toledo area prior to the one yesterday and that flyers with descriptions of the suspect and his vehicle were distributed.

Police had some good descriptions - the suspect wore wire-rimmed glasses and drove an Oldsmobile that was the same color blue as police shirts. However, police didn't have a license plate number until yesterday.

Mr. Nowak was on probation for a similar misdemeanor public indecency offense in April in Sylvania Township, police said.

According to court records, he pleaded no contest and was found guilty in August. He received a 30-day jail sentence with 22 of the days suspended. The other days were to be served in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio's work release program.