'I was followed:' Students scared after multiple cases of indecent exposure on Franklin Street this week
Police arrested a 36-year-old man for indecent exposure near UNC Chapel Hill's campus on Wednesday night – and they're investigating at least two other separate incidents near campus.
Keith Gaskins was arrested after being reported for indecent exposure on Sunday around 2:30 p.m. on West Rosemary Street.
Several people spoke with WRAL News, saying they've experienced similar incidents on and around Franklin Street.
Caitie Thompson, a senior at UNC who works at a jewelry shop on Franklin Street, says she doesn't feel safe anymore.
"Walking to and from work has been a little nerve-racking," she says.
Jonnely Vidas, manager of the store, says several customers have been harassed this week alone – and so have employees. She has been harassed with indecent exposure herself, multiple times.
All of the incidents happened in broad daylight.
Thompson says the incidents have increased in the last year or so.
Aside from cases of indecent exposure, many workers and students on Franklin Street say aggressive panhandlers are also a growing problem here.
“We get men yelling things out at us. I was followed a week ago -- that was really scary. I didn’t wanna go home. I just kept walking went straight to a business waited it out,” says Vidas.
One of her customers had to hide from a panhandler in the store just yesterday.
“There was a girl that was outside the door about to leave. She saw a homeless man going through the trash. Out of nowhere she he grabs something and throws it out the window,” she says.
Other business-owners have complained of increased harassment, including having people threaten to rape or kill them.
Cases of indecent exposure in Chapel Hill
Officers are investigating two other indecent exposure incidents on Tuesday.
The first one was around 1 p.m on West Rosemary Street. The second, two hours later on East Franklin Street.
Police believe the same person is responsible for the two incidents on Tuesday.
Vidas says police have told her there’s not much that can be done.
“They’ve said they can’t do anything unless something happens – and of course by that point it’s too late," she says. "It just doesn’t feel safe walking anymore. We always walk in pairs."
She says police have offered to escort her and employees to and from work after dark.
Anyone with information on Tuesday's indecent exposure incident is asked to call Chapel Hill police.
