An Alexandria, Virginia, man has been charged after he was accused of threatening and exposing himself to three women in the span of a week along the C&O Canal in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Jose Edmundo Sanchez Jr., of Alexandria, Virginia, made his first appearance in federal court Monday; he was released pending trial, and has to stay away from the canal, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for Maryland told WTOP.
The incidents happened earlier this month near Locks 8, 9 and 10 in Cabin John.
In a charging document, a U.S. Park Police officer said Sanchez exposed himself to a woman on a trail June 8, then followed her until she called police. The woman got his license plate as he drove away and gave police a description, the officer said.
On June 10, the officer said, Sanchez slapped and grabbed a woman walking past him on a trail, then told her to take off her pants. The woman ran to a towpath for help, and Sanchez disappeared.
On June 14, another woman was walking along a towpath when Sanchez allegedly blocked her way, took out a knife and told her to turn around. The woman screamed, and Sanchez allegedly pushed her into some bushes and left.
Sanchez was arrested June 16. The officer said in the charging document that he was working in plain clothes in the park that day when he walked past Sanchez, who said an obscenity to him, then propositioned him.
Sanchez faces charges of assault, disorderly conduct and weapons violations.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
