DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona Beach police are searching for a convicted sex offender accused of performing a lewd act at a park.
An arrest warrant for exposure of sexual organs was issued for Johnny Estevez, 62, of Orlando, police said Monday. According to police, Estevez was observed at Sunsplash Park in Daytona Beach committing a lewd and lascivious act inside his vehicle.
On any given day, the park is packed, but over the weekend, as parents were watching their kids, someone else was watching them too.
"I just see his arm moving, just so fast. I'm like, 'What is going on?'" said Alexander Joseph, who was at the park Sunday.
He was with his friend Nicholas Jackson. They had just pulled up to the park and next to them was Estevez.
"He (Joseph) told me not to get out. 'Don't get out, don't get out. No, I'm getting out' just to see because, you know, if he really is doing that..." said Jackson. "I'm just like, 'Where are his eyes"' And I'm like, 'Maybe he's looking at a phone or a magazine, but this man is staring directly at the jungle gym,' and that's what sent a red flag, like maybe he is a registered sex offender so let's call the police."
Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood said Estevez has been in and out of prison since the 1980s. He also has several aliases, like Feliz Ramos.
"When you look at his criminal history, I mean, it's abysmal," said Chitwood. "He is 60-something-odd years old and he has not learned. It's scumbags like these that prey on children."
Local 6 has learned that Estevez was convicted in 2000 of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 16 in Miami. The Department of Corrections website says he served about two and a half years in prison. It also states that he went by six different names.
Despite Estevez's history, on Monday, he had no restrictions. He is required to register as a sex offender, but according to FDLE, he is no longer under any form of confinement, supervision or court imposed sanction.
Janet Matute, who was at the park with her grandkids Monday, said, "Why do they have to do that? Sick minds."
Parent Ginni Garvey said, "He's sick in the head, definitely sick in the head."
Luckily for the kids and their parents, the two college students alerted police.
"I gave him one of these looks like, oh my gosh. I'm just happy we actually called," said Joseph and Jackson.
Police said they had to get an arrest warrant for Estevez because the crime was not considered a felony since no children saw the lewd act. Police have since obtained that warrant and have contacted the Orange County Sheriff's Office, where Estevez is registered, to help them arrest him.
Estevez has been prohibited from the park, and an alert was sent to nearby areas where children gather, police said.
Anyone with information about Estevez's whereabouts is urged to call Daytona Beach police at 386-671-5100.