Police Arrest Man for Exposing Himself in Big Lots Store

A female employee reportedly confronted the man and told him to put his genitals back in his pants. He is said to have replied, "Oh, is that mine?" and continued to fondle himself.

42-year old Daniel A. Hemmerling of Vancouver Photo: Washington County Sheriff

(ALOHA, Ore.) - Investigators in Washington County say a man was arrested for exposing himself to employees and customers at the Aloha Big Lots store. Sgt. David Thompson, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office in Washington County, says the suspect was chased from the store by employees and later arrested hiding in an adjacent business that he had broken into.

Thompson says it began Sunday at 6:38 PM when deputies responded to a call of a man exposing himself in the Big Lots store located at 18565 SW Tualatin Valley Highway, in Aloha. This area is in the Enhanced Sheriff's Patrol District.

Deputies arrived and were told that a man later identified as 42-year old Daniel A. Hemmerling of Vancouver, had run from the store after being confronted by employees about exposing his genitals to customers.

He says one of the employees had followed him to the Aloha Mall next door and was sure he had not exited the building.

At that point a Sheriff's K9 team was brought in after deputies were unable to locate him in the building, Thompson said.

"The K9 tracked Mr. Hemmerling to a locked door inside the Aloha Mall. The deputy ordered Mr. Hemmerling to come out of the office and he did so. After examining the door to the office deputies could see that Mr. Hemmerling had kicked in the door, propped a chair against the door, and hid inside the office."

Witnesses told deputies that they saw Mr. Hemmerling exposing himself said he had his genitals out of his pants and was masturbating while watching women inside the store.

"He tried to conceal what he was doing by carrying a small plastic shopping basket in front of his waist," Thompson said.

A female employee reportedly confronted him and told him to put his genitals back in his pants, he replied, "Oh, is that mine?" and continued to fondle himself. Thompson says that moments later another employee approached and Hemmerling fled from the building.

He was booked into the Washington County Jail on charges of Public Indecency, a class C felony because of a previous conviction for the same crime, second-degree Criminal Mischief and second degree Criminal Trespass.