Warning for Monterey Divers (especially women): Beware of Fred

[raposarose]

It definitely seems like a pattern here in that he approaches only females, or couples. When we went my wife was a bit underweighted (or overinflated -- our first dive post certification), and had a hard time getting down. I went back up to help. By the time she descended, we ended up splitting up with Fred since he ran out of air. Maybe her trouble descending saved us from having an incident too.

It's strange reading all of these stories that begin by "I was with my boyfriend/girlfriend when this guy came up to us..." Has anyone in that area at least alerted the authorities to keep a look out? Even if Fred isn't charged with anything, it is good for people to be alerted about his history.

I also concur with the opinion that it is a shame that he can ruin the friendly vibe people could find with other divers. It's much nicer to be able to meet new dive buddies easily. In the past I often met up with people who said "we should go diving some time" after chatting a bit at the shore. This was the only time the guy turned out to have a shady reputation.

 

[JD.Gattis]

There is no law saying that you cant file a report with police. If everyone filed a report it would be in a file somewhere for when he does do something to hurt someone. That way they can give him more punishment insted of him getting off with little or none.

Imagin this... He dives with someone and holds them under... takes reg away. It would be wrote up as accident. Who would know differantly? If he had a file with 20 - 30 complaints they may take more care while investigating.


Right?

 

[Rick Inman]

I still show people here in Spokane, WA this dudes card. Cracked me up. One look at this guy and you know better than to dive with him (went solo instead). Later, the dive shop manager warned me about Fred, seeing as I was from out of town. You know, helping the visitor.
"Watch the surf at Monastery, stay away from the raw oysters on the pier and don't dive with Fred."
Well, I listened to one out of three, anyway...

 

[RonDawg]

There is no law saying that you cant file a report with police. If everyone filed a report it would be in a file somewhere for when he does do something to hurt someone. That way they can give him more punishment insted of him getting off with little or none.

Imagin this... He dives with someone and holds them under... takes reg away. It would be wrote up as accident. Who would know differantly? If he had a file with 20 - 30 complaints they may take more care while investigating.


Right?

Wrong.

First, unless a crime occurred to you, or you witnessed it occurring to someone else, a police agency won't necessarily file a report on it unless it falls within a narrow range of "non-criminal" incidents which they normally file reports on, such as traffic collisions and lost property reports. "Because Fred is a creep" simply isn't going to cut it. As already pointed out here, being a creep is not against the law.

Second, even if the Monterey Police Department or Monterey County Sheriff's Department were to take reports about Fred, assuming he actually does something criminal like touch someone, or worse turn off their air underwater, the zillions of reports made about him are worth ZERO in terms of criminal prosecution. Why? Because being a creep is not illegal. Only other reports of related ILLEGAL activity that can be linked to him can be included in his prosecution. If those supposed victims of Fred (the assault/air turned off ones) that we hear about in the dive shops came forward, then those reports can be used.

Third, have these supposed victims made any sort of report with Monterey PD/SO? Until they come forward, Fred cannot be prosecuted because of stuff being said about him down at the dive shop. He may be a creep, but he's still entitled to his Constitutional Rights.

 

[northcoast_diver]

There is no law saying that you cant file a report with police. If everyone filed a report it would be in a file somewhere for when he does do something to hurt someone. That way they can give him more punishment insted of him getting off with little or none.

Imagin this... He dives with someone and holds them under... takes reg away. It would be wrote up as accident. Who would know differantly? If he had a file with 20 - 30 complaints they may take more care while investigating.

Right?

The way things work around the Central Coast, divers post to the local dive boards with their problems or questions. That raises a level of awareness.

I think divers are reticent to go to the police about minor groaping incidents. Or so it seems. And who would believe them anyway, about being groaped in a wetsuit?? But they do talk about it afterwards, on the boards, as you see from the first post in this thread.

If I have a female dive buddy along with me, I won't allow someone else to join us. Normally because for me, diving with a female would be a date, and I would not similarly want a stranger to come up to our table at a restaurant and join us either, while on a date. And a date with your wife or sig-other is still a date.

When I dive with another male buddy, I don't mind buddyless beach divers to join us. We teach divers to find buddies, and not to dive solo, and so they are trying in their own way to comply. Normally these folks are from out of town, like Inman supra.

What couples who are diving need to do is just say no to Fred, and anyone else who wants to tag along with them. From that point on, he would be compelled to dive with other guys, not gals, if he wants a buddy. And that would end the gossip, and whatever else is going on, with Fred.

 

[MontereyCADiver]

I've heard about Fred, and I thought he left the area. If we watch each other, hopefully we can prevent a recurrence from this nut job.

I say, if Fred's acting strangely, call the Monterey Police 831-646-3914. Remember in California, calling 911 from a cell phone will connect the caller to the California Highway Patrol. (If it's not a highway-related emergency, your 911 call will be transfered to the appropriate emergency dispatching system, (e.g. Monterey Police, etc.) but it will take a few moments. Although they're State Police Officers, they're not likely to be anywhere near Breakwater.

Thanks to everyone, and I'm glad I read this blog.

 

[Dryglove]

I've heard about Fred, and I thought he left the area.

Fred is alive and well and was hanging out at breakwater this morning.

The good news is that the conditions at breakwater looked pretty decent this morning and will hopefully hold out for the weekend for those diving. Conditions in monterey were just plain ugly yesterday(thursday).

 

[zinmaker]

Saw him at the Breakwater last week, recognized him from someones description of the red mazda pickup truck. Would rather dive solo than with Fred.

 

[zf2nt]

Saw him at the Breakwater last week, recognized him from someones description of the red mazda pickup truck. Would rather dive solo than with Fred.

So now it's almost May, and Fred is still alive and well at Breakwater. I took a woman I met at the dive resort where I worked last winter in the Caribbean down to Breakwater yesterday for her first ever Pacific dive. Wouldn't you know it...Fred came over and wanted to join us, saying he couldn't find a dive buddy and wanted to go out. I told him I was an instructor and the lady was my student, but I was sure those two fellows over there in the black pick-up truck would be glad to have him join them on their next dive. I had already chatted with them and knew they were both sheriff's deputies on their day off. Fred decided they didn't exactly look like his type and left.

Bruce

 

[Jim Ernst]

ishie and i have never seen fred again after i sternly told him to get lost (in polite manner kind of) and thought that mabey he had dissappered, guess i was wrong after all of this time, sad!!!