Santiago Garcia Herrera was arrested again after a woman recognized his photo during a news report about a similar incident along the Rail Trail.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man who was arrested in connection with an indecent exposure on the Charlotte Rail Trail is facing charges related to a second incident in South End, records show.
On April 27, a woman called Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police to report an indecent exposure on March 18. The victim said she saw news reports about an indecent exposure in early April and recognized the suspect. The woman told detectives she wanted her report to be included with the charges.
Two days later, CMPD contacted the woman and interviewed her. She said she was walking along New Bern Street around 8:30 a.m. on March 18 when a man driving a white Chevrolet pickup truck stopped to let her cross the street. She then said the driver yelled something to her and when she turned to face him, the man exposed his genitals. The suspect then drove off, but the victim was able to get his license plate while he was stopped at a red light.
The woman told CMPD she tried to follow the man, but he circled the block and got away from her in an apartment complex. CMPD said the vehicle description, including the license plate, matched that of Santiago Garcia Herrera. He was previously arrested in connection with a similar incident at the intersection of Camden Road and East Park Avenue on April 7.
Herrera was arrested on May 12 for indecent exposure. He posted bond a little after 5 p.m., according to jail records.
Nicole Smith took to TikTok to share the story of the original report. She said her friend was talking her dog when a man in a white pickup truck stopped in a crosswalk and exposed himself. The video garnered tens of thousands of likes and shares, with multiple users raising awareness for increased safety in South End.
“This one felt really important for the city of Charlotte,” Smith said in an interview. “I thought of all the girls who walk in South End, all of the women, all of the children—and how this is happening in such a highly trafficked space, and so I really wanted to make sure we started the conversation so it didn’t keep happening.”
Note: WCNC instituted a policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots. WCNC Charlotte is using the mugshot of the suspect in this case because there could be additional victims who come forward.
