San Marcos

A 19-year-old man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of indecent exposure after complaints from more than 20 girls from the ages of 10 to 14 that a man was stalking the San Marcos Junior High School campus and neighboring elementary schools and exposing himself.

Sheriff’s Detective Carmen Martinez said she arrested Kevin Whitlock of San Marcos, who identified himself as a college student, without incident at his home after a two-month investigation. Martinez said the suspect was identified by some of the victims from a photo lineup after some of the girls gave the detective his license plate number.

Whitlock faces misdemeanor charges, but Vista Municipal Court Judge Victor Ramirez, at Martinez’s request, agreed to hold Whitlock in custody on $35,000 bail.

Martinez said the suspect is alleged by more than 20 witnesses to have followed one or two girls at a time as they left their schools, then opened the door of his car and exposed himself.

Martinez said she suspects that more than 20 girls have been victimized and is asking that other witnesses come forward. “I spoke to girls in one class and, afterwards, 12 girls came forward and said it had happened to them, too, but they were afraid to say anything about it until then,” Martinez said.

She said Whitlock drives a brown, four-door Toyota Corolla with major damage to its passenger side.