After being indicted Nov. 21 by the grand jury for one count of taking indecent liberties with a minor, Steven Dale Troy Yokel pleaded guilty as charged, Monday, in Fairfax County Circuit Court.
Fairfax County police arrested Yokel, 29, of 304 W. 17th St. in Joplin, Mo., Sept. 20, at Fair Oaks Mall after he exposed himself there to a woman and her two young sons.
The incident occurred around 6 p.m. while the woman, 36, of Fairfax, and her sons, ages 5 and 3, were shopping in the mall's Hallmark store. A witness immediately reported the exposure to a mall security officer who called police and also responded to the store.
The security officer stopped Yokel inside the mall, but he ran after being approached by a second witness. However, a county police officer and an off-duty Metro Washington Airport police officer both chased him into the mall parking area where he was arrested.
Police charged Yokel with two counts of indecent liberties with a minor child (which are felony charges) and one count of indecent exposure. On Oct. 28 in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, one of the indecent-liberties charges was sent to the grand jury.
Then this Monday in Circuit Court, Judge Kathleen MacKay accepted his plea and set his sentencing for Feb. 17.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs