The Republican candidate for the Maricopa Community College District Steering Committee suspended his campaign after being arrested earlier this month and accused of public indecency.
Randy Kaufman announced a halt to his campaign on Tuesday after news broke that he had been arrested in early October after police caught him masturbating in his car in a public parking lot.
Police reports said Kaufman was in a Ford F-150 pickup truck parked in the east parking lot of Rio Salado College in Surprise around 4:40 pm on October 4.
Officers from the Maricopa County Community College District noticed trucks parked in three spaces and drove over to take a closer look.
Police reports said the officer parked his car about 20 feet away from the passenger side of the truck, approached the truck, pulled his pants down to mid-thigh, and masturbated while looking at his cell phone. I noticed a man.
Officers said in their report that Kaufman did not notice him, but officers saw a bicycle and a preschooler near a kindergarten and child care center in Wahtsey, which was clearly visible from the parking lot. Having quickly covered himself with a cloth, the officer moved to the driver’s side.
According to the police report, Kaufman rolled down the window and the officer said, “Really?” I told him to pull up his pants and get out of the car.
Kaufman reportedly replied, “I’m sorry.” “I failed. I’m really nervous.”
Kaufman said he didn’t notice the officers until he approached the driver’s side door and admitted that he had been masturbating while watching porn on his phone.
“Why are you doing that here?” the officer reportedly asked. “I saw a man on a bicycle pass by you. “
According to the police report, Kaufman later replied that he was only made aware of it.
“I’m really stressed out,” Kaufman said. “I have a lot going on.”
Kaufman said it wasn’t something he usually did for officers to masturbate in public.The officer asked Kaufman to look around and describe the nearby area. but only after officers confronted him, the report said.
“Don’t you see how alarming that is?” said the officer. “Is there children nearby, people passing by on bicycles or cars, and they can see and see what you are doing?”
Kaufman reiterated that he had “failed” and said he lived in Buckeye but drove to the area to buy rebar. According to police reports, Kaufman knew that masturbating in public was a crime, he told officers. He told officers that he had retired after working for the Arizona Department of Corrections for 27 years.
After asking if he could go “off the record,” according to police reports, Kaufman told officers he knew another Maricopa County Community College district officer named Jim Hill. He also said he is a candidate for the Maricopa County Community College District Steering Committee.
The officer notified his superiors about Kaufman’s remarks that he was a candidate for the board and knew another officer in the department, according to police reports.
Jennifer Lewer, spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, said the office had not yet received any submissions from officers and needed time for prosecutors to consider the case before making a decision to prosecute.
Kaufman sent a written statement to the Arizona Republic confirming that he had suspended the campaign.
“I recently had a personal legal issue that forced me to take a step back from racing to focus on my personal issues. I will never stop fighting to defend the values that make our greatest nation.”
The Arizona Republican Party also issued a statement supporting Kaufman’s decision to suspend the campaign.
“All American citizens are entitled to fair treatment through the justice system. The Arizona Republican Party respects due process and the Constitution. We support Kaufman’s decision to suspend the campaign.”
Jim Hill, president of the Maricopa County College Police Association, told the Republic that the police union had withdrawn its endorsement of Kaufman.
State Rep. Kerry Butler is a Democrat who opposes Mr. Kaufman, murmured Written Statement:
“The nature of the charges against Mr. Kaufman is very disturbing and I hope that all the facts regarding this case will be known soon and justice will be served,” Butler said. occurred at the foot of an occupied kindergarten, and Mr. Kaufman admitted guilt and tried to take advantage of his candidacy.
Butler continued that it was important for voters to be aware of the incident before casting their ballot.
Contact reporter Perry Vandel at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.comfollow him on twitter @Perry Vandel.
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