A crowd of witnesses chasing after a man accused of a litany of sex crimes ultimately helped police apprehend the suspect Sunday (April 2) afternoon in Mountain View.
A Mountain View Police sergeant noticed a group of people running after Redwood City resident Brandon Yamagata, 31, near the Charleston Plaza REI store and detained him, according to a police press release. Subsequent investigation led to charges of unlawful sex with a minor, child endangerment, indecent exposure, annoying or molesting a child, furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence of a controlled substance. Now detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying other potential victims.
Yamagata initially attracted police attention shortly after noon Sunday by allegedly exposing himself to a female victim in the parking lot of Orchard Supply Hardware, 2555 Charleston Road, according to the release. The victim told detectives Yamagata parked his vehicle next to hers, walked over to her, mumbled something and then exposed himself. He drove off when the woman screamed for help.
Yamagata’s next stop was REI, where he asked a second woman for a ride and then attempted to run away on foot when she called for help, according to the release. The foot chase ensued.Officers responding to the scene found a methamphetamine pipe and a minor’s ID card in Yamagata’s vehicle, according to the release. In a subsequent police interview, Yamagata revealed he had had an inappropriate relationship with a teenager.
As of Wednesday (April 5), Yamagata was held in the Santa Clara County Jail on $100,000 bail.
In February 2016, Palo Alto Police arrested Yamagata after a mini crime spree that included the burglary of a business, the burglary of a home and backyard prowling, according to that agency’s records.
Anyone with information about the Mountain View case or other suspicious incidents involving Yamagata is asked to call Detective Marco Garcia at 903-6356.
