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A uniformed Track Watch guard who was allegedly masturbating in his parked car in Palo Alto last month has been arrested, Palo Alto police said in a statement.

Luke Ryan Sauer, 35, of San Carlos, was arrested on a misdemeanor count of lewd conduct on Monday, March 14, stemming from a Feb. 21 incident. An officer on patrol saw a man slumped over inside a parked car at 6:45 p.m. on the 4000 block of Park Boulevard. When the officer checked on the man’s welfare, he saw that the security guard was talking on his cellphone inside of his white 2001 Chrysler Sebring.

Sauer was on break from his duties at the time. The officer did not directly witness a lewd act, but he believed the suspect had been masturbating based on the totality of the investigation, police said. Sauer was not cited at that time, but police submitted a report to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office for review of any possible charges. The DA’s office filed the charges on March 9.

The morning after the encounter, police contacted Sauer’s employer, Cypress Security, and informed the company about the alleged incident, police said. The company immediately suspended the guard and ensured that he did not work another shift in Palo Alto as part of the Track Watch contract, police said.

Sauer was arrested without incident at about 6:20 p.m. in Redwood City on Monday and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.

Sauer’s arrest is the fourth of a Track Watch guard in the past five months. Three other men were arrested on a variety of charges while working for the city’s previous contractor, Val Security. Only one was arrested for alleged crimes committed while he was still in uniform.

That man, James Broughton, pleaded no contest to burglary and robbery charges. The residential burglaries were allegedly committed while he was on Track Watch duty in Palo Alto, according to court documents in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Despite the four arrests, the City of Palo Alto has said the guards have prevented many suicide attempts on the Caltrain right-of-way.

Sue Dremann is a veteran journalist who joined the Palo Alto Weekly in 2001. She is an award-winning breaking news and general assignment reporter who also covers the regional environmental, health and...

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  3. this is just silly. the guy was in his car, not running around the street like a crazy person. and it appears that no one actually saw anything? why is this news?

  4. I don’t get it either — if we’re allowed to live in our cars, why can’t we do that in the privacy of our own “homes?”

  5. Excellent point Pee Wee. What if he doesn’t have a home or more suitable place for this bodily function? He was on break in his car. He privacy was invaded. Clearly the Palo Alto Police have little to do but this. The same applies to The Voice, the shaming paper of fourth-rate journalism. This is just beyond acceptable.

  6. Im sure the guy was beating off but with this kind of circumstantial evidence there’s no way a jury would convict him. Total waste of money and resources to charge the guy.

  8. Great. So now the alleged criminal who was on break while holding down a really envious job will be collecting unemployment and most likely wind up on welfare. Every one happy now?

  9. So this guy was allegedly “… treating his body like it was an amusement park” (to steal a Seinfeld-ism) in the privacy of his own car, NOT near a school or such, and the Palo Alto PD decides to NOW file charges and arrest him??? Did the detectives just find the used tissue filled with DNA evidence??? NOBODY witnessed anything and he was NOT cited at the time … damn – how bored IS the Santa Clara County DA’s office to take on such an earthshaking case of criminal behavior??? OH, and “slumped over” is also how people look when they’re focused on their mind-numbing “smart” phones that they have oh-so-cleverly hidden in their laps (usually while actually driving), which is EXACTLY what the officer stated that he found the suspect actually DOING when he walked up on him, slumped over and talking on his cellphone!

  10. I’ve always wondered where these guys go to the bathroom. I mean they stand out there 24 hours a day. They must have to take a nature break once in a while.

    Anyone know what they do? Or do we want to know?

    Frankly I can’t imagine who could do that job. They just sit there, for hours and hours.. rain or shine.. all day and night.

    Not that I’m a big fan of them sitting in their car playing with themselves. Sure, let’s all act like we’d be perfectly fine with that happening in front of our house. Sure.

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