Alleged pickleball masturbator nabbed after Columbia Pike peeping incident

A man whose stroke on the pickleball court was most unwelcome has allegedly been identified and arrested.

Police say a 49-year-old Arlington resident was taken into custody Monday after a peeping incident along Columbia Pike Friday night.

Just before 7 p.m. Friday, according to Arlington County police, the man was spotted masturbating while peeping into a business on the 1000 block of S. Edgewood Street. A source tells ARLnow that the business was a boxing gym.

Police were only told about the incident the next day, but a “review of evidence in the case” led them to the suspect, who was then also linked to a public masturbation incident on the morning of May 3 at the Walter Reed Community Center pickleball courts.

ARLnow previously reported about a pair of masturbation incidents at the Walter Reed courts in April. A police press release makes no reference to those incidents.

The suspect is currently being held in jail on two counts of public masturbation and one count of peeping, according to police.

More, below, from the ACPD press release.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Patrol Section is announcing the arrest of a suspect following investigations into exposure incidents. Alexei Rodriguez, 49, of Arlington, VA is charged with Public Masturbation (x2) and Peeping. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. on November 4, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. Edgewood Street for the late report of a peeping. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 6:55 p.m. on November 3, the occupants of an open business allegedly observed the suspect peeping through a window and masturbating before leaving the scene on foot. Following the review of evidence in the case, officers identified the suspect and obtained warrants for his arrest. He was taken into custody on the morning of November 6.

As a result of the ongoing criminal investigation, officers identified Mr. Rodriguez as the suspect in an exposure incident from May and obtained an additional arrest warrant. At approximately 10:44 a.m. on May 3, a patrol officer was contacted by a community member regarding a male suspect allegedly observed masturbating by the courts of the Walter Reed Community Center located at 2909 16th Street S.

Crime prevention and control is a key initiative of the Arlington County Police Department and officers are committed to conducting active patrols throughout Arlington and comprehensive follow-up investigations to identify, deter and prevent criminal activity. Community members observing in-progress criminal activity should report information immediately for police investigation by calling the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.