Man Booked for Child Endangerment, Indecent Exposure in Public Place.
Eric Manuel Salinas
The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for allegedly committing child endangerment, annoying or molesting a child and indecent exposure in a public place on Tuesday.
According to the sheriff’s office, the responded to a call around 10:25 a.m. near the intersection of Avila Beach Drive and San Juan Street in Avila Beach. The call regarded a report of a man seen masturbating in his parked car along Avila Beach Drive.
Investigators state several women reported they were walking on the Bob Jones Trail when one of them noticed a parked car adjacent to them on Avila Beach Drive. The car had its passenger side door open. One of the women walked to the car and saw an overweight man with no pants on, seated in the driver’s seat. The man was allegedly masturbating.
When the woman yelled out, the man began to drive away from the area with his the passenger door still open. One of the witnesses was able to get a partial license plate number of the car.
Soon after, a deputy spotted a car matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle and license plate number. The deputy initiated a traffic stop.
As the deputy approached the vehicle, he noticed a young female child who was later identified as the suspect’s daughter. She was in the backseat without a child safety seat.
Witnesses positively identified the suspect and he was arrested without incident. The suspect was identified as Eric Manuel Salinas, 29, of Guadalupe.
Since Salinas was driving away from the area with his car door open and his two-year-old daughter did not have a child-safety seat, he risked causing great bodily injury or death.
Additionally, the child was in the car when he was masturbating and because she observed him masturbating, Salinas was booked for child endangerment and annoying or molesting a child. He was also booked for indecent exposure in a public place.
Salinas’ daughter was placed in protective custody and turned over to SLO Child Protective Services.
