In a little more than a month’s time, the LSU Police Department responded to two incidents of video voyeurism and one incident of a peeping Tom, arresting four individuals.
The most recent occurred Monday when LSUPD arrested James Richard Jarmuskewicz, 56, of 588 Grant Lake Lane, Wilton, Minn., on peeping Tom charges.
LSUPD spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde said officers arrived at Middleton Library Monday afternoon after responding to a complaint of a peeping Tom. The victim told officers the peeping Tom followed him into the bathroom the day before and peered under the stall. The victim called the police after he saw the perpetrator roaming the library again the next day.
Officers located and arrested Jarmuskewicz in the library after the victim provided a physical description.
Following the arrest, officers looked at surveillance footage showing Jarmuskewicz in the library on April 27 and 28, going from floor to floor entering restrooms, Lalonde said.
Additionally, Lalonde said the investigation into a case of video voyeurism that began last week led to an arrest of the suspect in Texas.
Lalonde said Mystyr Terry Stewart Jr., 27, of 300 Fortue St., Marlin, Texas, was arrested Friday evening for allegedly videoing a female in the Herget Hall showers.
Lalonde said because Stewart was arrested in Texas, where he was already a registered sex offender and on probation for armed robbery, the extradition is in process.
LSUPD previously arrested University student Kayla Nicole Crear, 19, also of Marlin, Texas, for accessory after the fact to video voyeurism.
Lalonde said Stewart was likely a guest of Crear’s at Herget at the time of the incident.
The third incidence of sex-related crime happened at the end of March when two University students were arrested for videoing a consensual sexual encounter in Kirby Smith Hall and posting it to Instagram.
The two students, Asa Wadsworth Baker, 18, and Xavien Rafael Riascos, 18, were arrested for video voyeurism.
Lalonde said it is hard to determine if these voyeuristic crimes over the past month are because there is an actual increase in crime or an increase in the reporting of the crimes.
“It would be speculation to say why we are having this many in this short a period of time,” he said.
Lalonde said he encourages everyone to report any sort of suspicious activity in a timely manner. He said a good example of this was the library peeping Tom.
The suspect appeared in the library again, and the victim called the police immediately, Lalonde said, resulting in a quick arrest.
Lalonde also said students should be aware of their surroundings and report anything out of the ordinary.
“If you think something is out of place, it probably is,” he said.