Hunter
04/19/21
A Marion man has been arrested after being accused of spying on women inside of their residences.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports the incidents occurred last fall. The first reported incident came just after 2:30am on October 22nd, when a woman living in the 300 block of South Dodge Street reported seeing a camera flash outside her bedroom window. She looked out and reportedly saw a male figure outside. When she ran outside to identify the man, she saw a red truck leaving the area.
Police were called to the 500 block of South Johnson Street less than ten minutes later on report of a man knocking on a woman’s window. She told police the incident occurred just before 2:30 and that she heard a man, who allegedly used a flashlight and asked the woman to open her blinds and undress. That same woman said a similar incident occurred five days before but she ignored the incident.
Two days later, at about the same time of night, police were called back to the South Dodge Street residence because someone was knocking on the woman’s window. She reportedly grabbed a knife and went outside looking for the man, but was unsuccessful. A man returned the next evening at around 3am. Responding officers saw a red truck in the area and made a stop.
The driver, 40 year old Patrick Martinson, allegedly told police he was looking at houses to rent. He gave police his address and phone number and was released.
A subsequent investigation of traffic camera footage placed Martinson’s truck near the two residences at the time of the incidents. After a search warrant of his phone found him in Iowa City on the nights of the incidents, he was arrested.
He faces two counts of Invasion of Privacy and one count of Intentional Trespass. If convicted on all charges, Martinson faces up to five years in prison.