Vallejo man arrested after social media sleuths expose new crime
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
A registered sex offender was arrested last week after social media sleuths helped expose one of his new alleged crimes, police announced on Tuesday.
Bennie Rapacon, 36, was detained on a public exposure charge after police said he was caught masturbating outside a home along the 100 block of Idora Avenue. Police said he was allegedly peering into a person’s window while doing the deed.
His alleged actions were captured on a surveillance camera that was shared by a homeowner on social media. It went viral in town after a screen capture was re-shared on Twitter and Facebook by the community watchdog group Vallejo Crime and Safety, which is operated by local resident Sean West.
Late Thursday evening, West said a police official contacted him with a promise to look into the matter. A few hours later, West received confirmation that the man shown in the screen capture had been taken into custody.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that Rapacon was detained by officers with the agency’s Operation P.E.A.C.E. initiative, a community engagement and outreach organization within the police department.
“The Vallejo Police Department would like to thank our residents, community advocates and Department personnel and leadership who worked collaboratively in getting this sexual deviant off the streets,” the agency said in a statement.
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