After harassing trucker
A Poteau man is charged with felony indecent exposure and a misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs after it was reported he was wearing women’s underwear and a T-shirt, harassing a trucker at a rest area near Muldrow.
Mark E. Riley, 59, was charged August 15 in Sequoyah County District Court and received a $5,000 bond. He is now set to appear before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters for an Aug. 30 arraignment.
On Aug. 5, about 1 a.m. Sequoyah County Sheriff ’s deputy Cody Parkerson was dis- patched to the eastbound rest area on Interstate-40 regarding a male walking around in underwear, harassing truck drivers. Parkerson said as he approached the rest area, he was told the male had gotten into a white Ford pickup and was heading east on I-40.
The deputy saw the truck merging onto interstate, swerving back and forth across the divider and shoulder lines, and initiated a traffic stop between the 318 and 319 mile markers.
The driver was identified as Riley, who appeared to be extremely shaky and sweating profusely, and was wearing a pair of pink women’s underwear, exposing himself.
After handing over his documentation, Riley was asked to put on pants and exit the vehicle. The deputy informed him of why he’d been stopped as well as the complaints received from individuals at the rest area.
Riley reportedly denied having any knowledge of the event or that he was only wearing underwear, according to the probable cause affidavit in the case.
When the deputy told Riley that he was only wearing women’s underwear and a T-shirt when he pulled him over, Riley then claimed he’d taken his pants off because it was too hot in his truck.
The deputy said he spotted several indicators that Riley could allegedly be under the influence of narcotics, and asked him about the last time he’d used methamphetamine. Riley first said it had been “two days” and then told the deputy “last night.”
While Riley’s information was being ran through dispatch, the deputy deployed his K9 Raven for a free air sniff around the vehicle. The K9 reportedly alerted to the presence of narcotics in the front driver’s door and a search was conducted on the pickup. Authorities reported finding shavings of a green leafy substance around the driver’s area along with sexual paraphernalia.
A truck driver told the deputy he was in his truck, starting to drive for the day when a man wearing a T-shirt and pink panties approached him. He said the man was carrying a flowery pillow and sexual paraphernalia, and asked him if he knew him from somewhere. The truck driver said when he told him he didn’t know him, Riley told him he was looking for someone to to “cuddle with him” and “have a good time,” and then asked him if he was interested.
The trucker said he told Riley he wasn’t interested and to leave, and then he called 911.
Riley was taken into custody and placed under arrest at that time for driving under the influence of drugs and indecent exposure.
After refusing to take the state’s blood test, he was transported to the Sequoyah County Detention Center and his vehicle was impounded.
If found guilty of the indecent exposure charge, District Attorney Jack Thorp said it is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment for 10 days to one year.
