A 72-year-old Calabasas man with a history of indecent exposure arrests dating back over a decade is now facing a felony charge after allegedly exposing himself to a store employee in Santa Monica, and police say they believe there could be more victims. Michael Greenwald walked into a women's clothing store around 3 p.m. on August 29, telling an employee he needed to try on women's clothing for a television show he was filming, according to police. He then allegedly exposed his genitals and buttocks to the employee before leaving without buying anything.
The incident was reported to police the following day, and detectives began reviewing footage of the suspect's vehicle, which according to police led investigators to identify and arrest Greenwald on September 4. As MyNewsLA.com reported, investigators served a search warrant at Greenwald's residence and recovered evidence related to the case, police said. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed one felony count of indecent exposure against him on September 8.
A Pattern Stretching Back More Than a Decade
Greenwald is a registered sex offender, and police say he has prior convictions for similar conduct. That record traces back to at least July 2014, when he was arrested by Ventura County Sheriff's deputies after exposing himself to store employees at multiple shops inside the Camarillo Premium Outlets, turning himself in after security footage of him aired on local television news, according to the Camarillo Acorn. During that 2014 investigation, a Santa Monica Police Department officer notified detectives that Greenwald had already been convicted of similar conduct in Los Angeles County, the paper reported.
Greenwald ultimately pled guilty in June 2015 to four felony counts of California Penal Code Section 314(1) for indecent exposure with a prior conviction, according to hearing records from the California Department of Real Estate. He was sentenced that July to 36 months of formal probation and 60 days in jail. Because state law treats a second or subsequent indecent exposure conviction as an automatic felony, prosecutors were able to file the current case as a single felony count rather than a misdemeanor.
What California Law Says About Repeat Offenses
Under California Penal Code Section 314, indecent exposure is typically prosecuted as a misdemeanor, but any second or subsequent conviction elevates the offense to a felony punishable by 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail, plus fines of up to $10,000, according to legal reference site FindLaw. Under Penal Code Section 290, those convicted of felony indecent exposure must register as sex offenders and update their registration annually, per the same legal source.
Police describe Greenwald as a white man, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with brown hair. The current allegations against him remain unproven accusations unless and until they are adjudicated in court.
Police Ask Potential Victims to Come Forward
In a public appeal issued on Thursday, the City of Santa Monica said officers are seeking additional possible victims of Greenwald and are asking anyone with information to contact investigators. Police urged people who may have encountered him under similar pretexts, including claims that he needed to fit clothing for a television production, to come forward. Detective Carlos Madrid can be reached at 424-280-0133 or by email at [email protected], while Sergeant George Burciaga can be reached at 310-458-8952 or [email protected].
Indecent exposure arrests have occurred in Santa Monica. In September 2024, police arrested a 34-year-old suspect on burglary and felony indecent exposure charges after he allegedly entered an apartment in the 900 block of 7th Street and exposed himself to a resident. Just this past January, Hoodline reported that a man exposed himself to a teen from a van, leading to the arrest of a 37-year-old Los Angeles man on suspicion of indecent exposure and child annoyance.
