A Joplin, Mo., man who exposed himself to children at Fair Oaks Mall has been sentenced to six months in jail. He is Steven Dale Troy Yokel, 29, of 304 W. 17th St.
The incident occurred Sept. 20, around 6 p.m., while a 36-year-old Fairfax woman 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 Fairfax 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 taking indecent liberties with a minor child and one count of indecent exposure. And on Oct. 28 in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, one of the indecent-liberties charges was sent to the grand jury.
After being indicted on this charge Nov. 21, Yokel pleaded guilty, Dec. 12, in Circuit Court. The indecent-exposure charge was dropped, Jan. 18, in General District Court, before Judge Mitchell Mutnick.
Yokel then returned to Circuit Court for sentencing, Feb. 17, on the indecent-liberties charge. At that time, Judge Kathleen MacKay sentenced him to 24 months in prison, suspending 18 months. She also placed him on two years supervised probation.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs