Transient Arrested In Lewd Acts In Children's Section Of Barnes & Noble Store

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — An Orange County transient was in police custody Wednesday after he was arrested on suspicion of exposing himself in the children's section of a Huntington Beach bookstore.

Bradley Meenahan, 51, entered a Barnes & Noble location at the Bella Terra mall around 9 p.m on Feb. 23 when witnesses observed him in a lewd act on the second floor, according to Huntington Beach police.

Officers responded to the scene and collected evidence, but were initially unable to locate the suspect, police said.

Detectives were later able to identify the suspect as Meenahan, who police say is a registered sex offender with prior felony convictions for sex-related crimes.

Meenahan, who later told investigators he has been living out of his van in the Venice Beach area, was arrested Feb. 25 at a residence in Dana Point.

According to police, Meenahan claims to have committed similar crimes "over 20 times at random locations" across the Southland within the past month.

Detectives are asking anyone with any information to call the Huntington Beach Police Information Hotline at (714) 375-5066.