Alleged Serial 'Pines Peeping Tom' Asks Judge For Release
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PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami) – The man accused of peeping on a number of women in Pembroke Pines wants a judge to grant him a bond so he can get out of jail.
Prosecutors and victims say they want Pelayo Cerulia to remain exactly where he is – in jail.
Pembroke Pines Police Det. Joseph Cabrera showed Judge Andrew Siegel a series of surveillance videos and pictures that they say shows the peeping tom in action – peering into women's apartments, watching them in their unguarded moments and pleasuring himself.
Cabrera said other images showed the peeper preparing to smash a window with a slingshot and even spray-painting windows with surveillance cameras in them on at least three occasions to obscure the camera's view.
Prosecutor Kathleen Bogenschutz said neither the state nor the victims want Cerulia out on bond.
"They're certainly not pleased," Bogenschutz said. "They had months and in one of their cases years of being terrorized like this."
Det. Cabrera said he set up camouflaged cameras to try and catch the peeper.
He said the peeping tom told one of his victims that he watched her often and that the cops would never catch him. Cabrera also told the judge of one instance where a victim had a physical struggle with the peeper.
"She told me she remembers the horrible feeling of having to touch some type of fabric material on the perpetrators hands during the struggle of keeping him out of her window," Cabrera said. The detective told the judge she believes the material she felt was "a dirty sock."
Detectives showed reporters some of the surveillance images back in December as they were searching for the creeping peeper.
Cabrera said after these images aired on the news last month, friends, coworkers, neighbors and even family members identified Cerulia.
His attorney, Robert N. Pelier, argued that police failed to investigate other suspects and lack the evidence that should keep Cerulia locked up.
"We look forward to the challenge and we look forward to doing what we have to do to secure a bond for our client." Pelier said.
The victims waited to possibly testify Wednesday. Ultimately they were not called. But the victims told their stories at a news conference a few weeks ago, describing what it's like to catch someone preying on you from the other side of a window.
"I am completely violated and the mother hen in me is coming out because not only do I fear for myself," a victim said. "I'm also very angry."
Police say Cerulia is a suspect in more than 25 incidents.
He is facing more than a dozen charges including aggravated stalking and burglary.
The hearing will continue Thursday afternoon.
If he were to get bond, the judge had previously ordered that he'd wear a GPS tracking device.
