Douglas Egan: Texas man, 45, dressed as woman arrested for taking pictures of women in mall bathroom
FORT WORTH, TEXAS: A Texas man, who was dressed as a woman, allegedly took pictures behind a bathroom stall in a mall restroom before attempting to flee the scene while brandishing a pepper ball pistol, according to authorities. Douglas Egan, 45, has been accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper photographing.
Around 4:30 pm on Christmas Eve, shoppers at Hulen Mall were driven into a panic after a woman allegedly reported receiving a shooting threat. Teena James claimed that she received a text message at the same time from her daughter who works at the mall, claiming that a pistol was present inside. "As a par,ent you have to understand how disturbing that was to me as a mother of 4 where we’re worried about our children’s safety every time they leave the house," said James.
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After interviewing the victim, Fort Worth police said they determined the altercation began in the women's restroom. "While she was using the restroom, she observed what she believed to be a cell phone coming from underneath the stall," said Fort Worth police corporal Joshua Johnson. He then further said that after hastily leaving the restroom, the woman chased after a male who was later identified as Egan and who she claims was dressed as a woman.
The victim allegedly followed Egan outdoors, according to the police. When a second individual saw what was going on, he made an effort to stop the suspect from leaving. "At that point, the suspect pulled out and presented what appeared to be a gun," said Johnson, adding, "He pulled it from a backpack which he was carrying and pointed it at that first witness and then continued to flee," according to Fox4news.
According to the police, when more and more witnesses gathered, they all focused their attention on Egan from a distance. They reported to the police that they saw him switch from women's dress to men's attire. He was later arrested by police at an adjacent apartment building. From about 5:30 pm until the mall closed at 6 pm, the mall was placed under lockdown. "Thank you to the good Samaritans for stepped up, who saw a confrontation they deemed to be inappropriate and just got involved. It takes the community getting involved to protect us," said Johnson.
According to the police, Egan's gun turned out to be a "pepper ball" gun, a less-lethal defensive weapon. Egan is a recognized sex offender who has already been found guilty of many indecent exposure charges in Dallas as well as criminal indecency with a child. "It's extremely unfortunate that someone would take advantage of an individual just as they're using the restroom for their own personal gains," said Johnson.
Egan is being kept in custody at the Tarrant County Correctional Center under a combined $30,000 bond. The name of an attorney who may represent him in court was not found in the jail records. Egan served 7 years in prison before being released earlier this year, according to the Texas Sex Offenders Registry, which still lists him, as reported by Fox News.