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Police investigate second flashing incident at Roswell library

The branch manager at the library told Petchenik they are cooperating with police and that no library patrons were affected by the flasher's actions.

ROSWELL, Ga. — For the second time in about a year, Roswell police are investigating a flashing incident inside the Roswell Public Library.

Roswell police told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik it happened last weekend. Investigators said they're hopeful someone will come forward with information to help them catch the guy.

Petchenik caught up with Carmen Gonzalez and her sister as they took their niece to the Roswell library.

Both were shocked to hear what police said happened inside Saturday.

"I find that disrespectful and a little bit disgusting because there are kids here. You want to come and feel like it's an innocent place," Gonzalez said.

"This black male was sitting on a bench performing a sex act on himself," Officer Lisa Holland with the Roswell Police Department told Petchenik.

Police told Petchenik a librarian saw the man doing it and confronted him.

"It's obviously a disturbing incident because this particular library has a wing, a children's wing and anybody could have viewed him doing this," Holland said.

In May 2011, Channel 2 Action News reported on a similar incident involving a man with a similar description, flashing women in the same library branch.

"You don't know if this person is disturbed to begin with, if he has mental issues," Holland said.

"That's crazy. That's the last place something like that should happen," Gonzalez said.

Library patron William Kwamina told Petchenik he's surprised this would happen at such a family-oriented place.

"If the person has a history of doing stuff like that, then he should be put away," Kwamina said.

"I don't want to feel like if we take them, they'll be violated and their innocence is going to be taken away in some way," Gonzalez said.

The branch manager at the library told Petchenik they are cooperating with police and that no library patrons were affected by the flasher's actions.

They ask anyone with information on the person to call Roswell police at 770-640-4100.

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