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Mother Talks About Chasing Alleged Voyeur Through Mall

GLENDALE (CBS) — A woman told CBS2 News Thursday about how she chased a man through The Grove after catching him allegedly using his cell phone to take photos up her daughter's skirt Monday.

Later that day police arrested John Puncel, 49, of Sylmar after he was caught allegedly doing the same thing to other women at the Glendale Galleria.

"Immediately when I saw that his hand was under my daughter's skirt I flipped out," said Whittney Peterson.

Peterson demonstrated what she said she witnessed Monday -- a man standing next to her daughter and reaching down behind her with his cell phone pointed up her skirt.

"I see a guy standing there with his hand underneath my daughter's dress," she said.

Later that night she saw Puncel's mugshot on TV. He had been arrested that very afternoon, accused of taking pictures up women's skirts on an escalator at the Glendale Galleria.

"You know, if he is starting with pictures, you know, who knows where this is going to go to or escalate? You know, if I can protect, you know, anybody or any child from this guy or anybody like him, I'll do it," Peterson said.

She said that when she confronted Puncel, he took off. She proceeded to chase after him, recruiting other shopper's to help her.

"Just grabbing his arm and trying to grab the phone on top of it. Then the picture of my daughter came up and then it infuriated me even more," she said.

Puncel got away.

Police said he went to the Glendale Galleria later that day.

Officers spotted him standing near the escalator and holding his phone under a woman's skirt for a few seconds.

Puncel faces several charges, including resisting arrest, possessing nude photos of a girl under 18, and secretly recording under women's skirts.

Glendale Police said that they have received several phone calls from other women since the time Puncel's mugshot photo was released.

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» Man, 49, Arrested For Recording Up Woman's Skirt At Glendale Galleria

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