Potential Sexual Battery Occurred April 16, Say Police

A San Mateo male employee at in Mountain View has been accused—but not yet arrested or charged—with sexual battery, the police department reported Wednesday.

The 26-year-old female victim—a Santa Clara resident and vendor of water filters and dispensers—claims that while she visited clients nearby of the 2455 Old Middlefield Way store around 3 p.m. on Monday, April 16, the 53-year-old suspect invited her to meet in his business.

While there he allegedly "pinned her against a wall" and "would not heed her requests to stop," according to Spokeswoman Liz Wylie.

"She also reported that he exposed himself to her," said Wylie. After the victim left, she informed her company of the incident and then told the police at 5:32 p.m.

Media outlets who inquired about the incident—originally classified as an "assault to commit rape" on CrimeReports.com—were asked by Wylie on April 18 not to write about it because "it is critical the alleged suspect have no knowledge that the victim reported anything to us."

Wyle told media that "given the lack of physical evidence in a he said/she said case, there is really only one specific police tactic we can use. That one tactic requires that the suspect have absolutely no idea that anyone has accused him of anything."

However, yesterday Wylie disclosed that "our investigation is pretty much complete at this point." She also shared that the victim and suspect had "met in the past because she has tried to sell him products" and "they had a professional, cordial relationship."

She noted the suspect hasn't been arrested because the district attorney will be the one to determine the charges, if any.

"If and when the suspect is arrested, I will be able to release further details, including his name," she said.

Also, while the suspect might be charged with sexual battery Wylie added that the "classification could change again."

Potential charges could include false imprisonment, sexual battery and indecent exposure, she told Patch.