Swift Response: NY Man Arrested Following Disturbing Lewdness Incident at Garden State Plaza Old Navy
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
PARAMUS, NJ — A New York man is in custody following a highly disturbing incident at one of Bergen County’s busiest shopping destinations.
On Friday afternoon, police officers swarmed the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus after receiving emergency calls regarding a man exposing himself and engaging in explicit lewd behavior in front of mall patrons—including young children.
The suspect, identified as Samuel Omitiran, 22, of Monroe, New York, was apprehended in a mall parking lot following a swift, coordinated effort between mall security and the Paramus Police Department.
The Incident Inside Old Navy
According to Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti, the incident unfolded around 1:40 p.m. inside the Old Navy retail store.
Mall security guards initially alerted on-duty police officers that an incident was actively in progress. According to security personnel, multiple shoppers reported that a male suspect was intentionally exposing himself while standing in the store’s checkout line. Witnesses stated the man engaged in open masturbation to completion before quickly fleeing the storefront.
Foot Pursuit and Arrest in the Parking Lot
Thanks to the rapid relay of information from store witnesses and mall security, Paramus police officers locked down the suspect’s path of escape:
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The Track: Police Sergeant Matt McGuire successfully tracked the fleeing suspect through the mall corridors and out into the exterior parking lot.
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The Stop: Officer Don Liu spotted Omitiran attempting to get into a vehicle. Officer Liu conducted a felony vehicle stop and took the suspect into custody without further incident.
“Security officers at the Westfield-Garden State Plaza Mall alerted police about an incident in progress… Officer Liu stopped the vehicle and arrested Omitiran without incident.” — Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti
Severe Charges Filed; Suspect Remanded to Jail
Following his arrest, Omitiran was transported to police headquarters, where authorities filed a slate of severe criminal charges. Because children were present in the immediate vicinity during the incident, the charges carry significant weight:
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Endangering the Welfare of a Child
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Sexual Assault
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Criminal Sexual Contact
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Lewdness
Following processing, Omitiran was remanded to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, where he is currently being held pending his initial appearance in federal/state court.
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Tags:
Paramus Police Department,Garden State Plaza,Robert Guidetti,Old Navy Paramus,Paramus NJ News,Bergen County Jail,Public Lewdness Arrest
