O’Fallon, Mo — Two women, who wish to remain anonymous for safety reasons, were recently victims of voyeurs, according to O’Fallon, Missouri police.
One of the victims, a 20-year-old, struggled to hold back tears as she recounted the incident that occurred on May 6th inside a Target store dressing room on Highway K.
Court records revealed that the suspect entered the stall next to her and used the stall’s construction to climb the wall.
“I didn’t hear anything,” the victim recalled. “I was changing clothes and then when I grabbed the swimsuit, I turned around and saw something above me. When I looked up, I saw his face.”
She was initially frozen in shock but eventually gathered the courage to take action.
“I started crying off to the side and then I thought, I can’t let this happen to anyone else,” she said.
An O’Fallon Police probable cause statement implicated 41-year-old Gabriel Wood, who was captured on Target surveillance footage while reportedly trying to conceal his identity with a wig. Police found Wood in possession of a notebook containing admissions related to peering on women in dressing rooms.
The second victim did not enter a dressing room at all. She was shopping for a baby shower card in a dress when she noticed a small linen basket with a cell phone between her legs on the ground.
“I felt sick to my stomach once I realized what was happening,” she shared.
Her incident occurred on June 2nd at the Dollar Tree, also on Highway K in O’Fallon. A store clerk informed her that the description matched that of a person who had previously victimized two other women.
Attorney Bob Pedroli is representing both women and emphasized the need for stores to enhance security measures. He stated, “These voyeuristic incidents are not only foreseeable but are also occurring regularly.”
Surprisingly, Pedroli was interviewed about suspect Gabriel Wood 13 years ago for a similar offense.
Neither Dollar Tree nor Target responded to requests for comment.
Both suspects are scheduled for court appearances this month as they seek to lower their bond and secure release from jail.
