Man Arrested After Smearing Semen on Woman’s Vehicle in Santa Rosa

The Santa Rosa Police Department arrested Joseph Michael Simmons for allegedly smearing semen on a woman’s vehicle and recording her reaction.

Here is the press release from Santa Rosa PD:

Man on Probation for Lewd Acts is Arrested After Tampering with a Woman’s Vehicle and Recording Her Reaction

On Monday, May 13, 2024, at approximately 10:45 a.m., an adult female shopping in Coddingtown Center contacted police to report suspicious, sexually motivated behavior by a male unknown to her. The female victim returned to her vehicle and noticed her driver’s side door handle was coated in what she believed to be bodily fluid. As she looked around, she saw a Caucasian adult male nearby recording her reaction on his phone before fleeing the area in a black Prius.

The alert victim provided responding officers with the suspect’s location and pointed out the vehicle to the officers first to arrive at the scene.

Two officers with the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) Downtown Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle to investigate this incident further. The officers contacted the driver, Joseph Michael Simmons, a 42-year-old resident of Santa Rosa. Simmons is currently on probation in Sonoma County for a 2023 conviction for committing a lewd act in public.

During the investigation, the officers searched Simmons’ vehicle and located a used condom. Based on additional information learned during their investigation, the officers determined Simmons’ likely deposited ejaculate on the victim’s vehicle and waited in the area to observe the victim’s reaction.

Simmons’ was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for the following offenses:

• 10852 VC – Vehicle tampering
• 242 PC – Battery
• 1203.2 PC – Violation of probation

On November 19, 2020, Simmons’ was sentenced by a Sonoma County judge for multiple incidents of misdemeanor indecent exposures committed while on parole. Simmons was on parole for an unrelated felony conviction in 2013. For several months in 2020, community members forced to witness Simmons’ indecent exposures took to social media to try to identify him, as well as provide details and warnings to others. An investigation conducted by SRPD identified Simmons as the offender in those incidents, leading to his 2020 conviction for 5 counts of indecent exposure and one count of attempted indecent exposure.

The SRPD Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Team (DVSA) is actively investigating this most recent incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the DVSA Tip Line at 707-543-3595.

Santa Rosa Police Department case number 24-5723.