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UPDATE: Man Accused Of Stalking, Masturbating Outside Berkeley School Identified As District Employee

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- A man seen allegedly masturbating outside a Berkeley elementary school last month and circling the school in a vehicle on Wednesday was identified as a school district employee.

Berkeley police said officers on bicycles responded to Sylvia Mendez Elementary School at 2840 Ellsworth St. at 3:55 p.m. on a report of a vehicle circling the school. School officials told the officers the same vehicle had circled the school on at least 10 prior occasions.

While the officers were responding, a school resource officer at Berkeley High School contacted the officers and told them the same vehicle was driven by a man seen possibly masturbating outside of Sylvia Mendez Elementary.

Officers arrived at the school and found the suspect, a 61-year-old Richmond resident, parked on the north side of the school and detained him. Police said officers found a hunting-style knife, gloves, duct tape, and a bundle of zip ties inside his vehicle.

After speaking with school personnel, officers arrested the driver on suspicion of ten counts of annoying/molesting a victim under 18 years old and one count of engaging in lewd conduct, police said.

On Thursday, Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Brent Stephens said in a letter to the community the suspect was a BUSD employee who currently works as a custodian at Rosa Parks Elementary School and has been substituting at other district campuses during this school year. Stephens did not identify the employee, but added he previously worked as a custodian at Sylvia Mendez.

Stephens said the man was placed on leave and prohibited from all BUSD facilities during the investigation. Berkeley police notified the district that the suspect was no longer in custody, Stephens said.

School staff were asked to report any sighting of his vehicle, a 2007 black Lexus LS460, to their principal and the police.

Anyone with information about the case was urged to contact the police department Youth Services Unit at (510) 981-5715.

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