DELTONA Volusia County Sheriff's investigators nabbed a 21-year-old Deltona man earlier today, accused of exposing himself to four people in the past month, including three teenage girls.
Two of the episodes occurred last week, including one that was just a few blocks from the suspect's home. The other incident took place in March. The suspect, Winston Garwood, is
facing three counts of indecent exposure and one count of lewd or lascivious exhibition, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
On the morning of March 26, two girls -- ages 15 and 16 -- were walking to school in the vicinity of Howland Boulevard and Eastbrook Avenue when
a car drove up and the driver motioned for the girls to come over.
The girls ignored the man and continued walking past the car, so the suspect drove up to the next intersection and waited for them there. When the girls neared the front of the vehicle, the driver exposed his genitalsto the victims and started masturbating before driving off.
The next incident occurred last Wednesday afternoon, along Neal Drive less than two-tenths of a mile from Garwood's home. That's where a 17-year-old girl had just gotten off her school bus and was walking home when a car pulled up and the driver asked the victim if she knew how to get to Wal-Mart. The girl briefly responded and walked on, but the man continued to follow along in his car. As the car passed by, the girl saw the driver masturbating his exposed penis before driving off.
The most recent incident occurred late Friday afternoon while a 20-year-old woman was walking along Providence Boulevard on her way to work. A motorist stopped and asked the woman for directions. The victim gave the man directions and then continued walking down the street. A short while later, the victim spotted the vehicle again down the street. When she crossed in front of the car, she saw the driver masturbating. The victim kept walking and then looked back when she heard a car door close to see the suspect walking towards her with his pants down around his thighs and his penis exposed. Apparently scared off by a passing bicyclist, the suspect got back in his car a moment later and drove off.
Sheriff's investigators got their big break last week when a deputy on patrol in Deltona spotted the suspect vehicle. No one was in it, but the deputy ran the tag and discovered that it came back to Garwood, Davidson said.
However, investigators weren't certain that Garwood was their suspect until one of the victims spotted the vehicle a few days later and jotted down the tag number, Davidson said, adding three of the victims have since picked out Garwood from a photo line-up. Based on the information uncovered in the investigation, Circuit Court Judge Hubert L. Grimes issued a warrant on Monday for Garwood's arrest. Deputies picked up Garwood at about 11:35 a.m. onMonday at his home at 148 Courtland Blvd. Garwood will be transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail and held on $100,000 bond.