Portland Police Sex Crimes Unit detectives arrested 47-year-old Manuel Banuelos-Alcala of Beaverton, Oregon, in connection with reports of a man throwing semen on unsuspecting women in grocery stores.
Detectives were conducting investigative follow-up at the Safeway grocery store, located at 8145 Southwest Barbur Boulevard. In the parking lot, detectives noticed a person sitting in a parked car that matched the description of the suspect in several reported incidents of of a man throwing semen on unsuspecting women in grocery stores. Detectives and officers contacted the suspect and placed him into custody without incident.
In the hours after the arrest, detectives learned that the suspect was inside the Safeway store prior to being arrested and that he likely committed another lewd act of throwing semen on an unsuspecting female customer. That victim has not been identified at this point in the investigation.
On May 19, 2017, detectives released information to the public regarding several similar acts, as well as surveillance images from an April 5, 2017 incident.
After the release of this information, a woman contacted detectives to report that she had been a victim in a previously unreported incident on May 17 at the same Safeway location as the arrest and the April 5 incident.
Banuelos-Alcala, will be booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Sex Abuse in the Third Degree (two counts), in connection with incidents on April 5 and May 17, 2017, in Portland.
Detectives are continuing to investigate and will work with investigators with the Beaverton Police Department and Milwaukie Police Department on their cases. Depending on the outcome of the continuing investigation, Banuelos-Alcala may face additional charges.
Detectives believe that due to the nature of the act, there may be additional victims that are unaware of the suspect's actions.
Anyone with information about these incidents may contact Detective Chris Traynor at 503-823-0889 or christopher.traynor@portlandoregon.gov.
Source: Portland Police