By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the area of Prospect St. and Somerville Ave. last Friday evening on reports of a man exposing himself.

This call came after receiving a similar report of a man matching the same description exposing himself inside the Target store on Somerville Ave about an hour and a half earlier.

The suspect, later identified as Steve Milice, appeared to be intoxicated according to store security and he was asked to leave.

When police units had arrived, Milice was located outside of the store. It appeared he was having trouble keeping his sweat pants up as they appeared to be loose, and he had to continually pull them up. Milice was ultimately sent on his way.

Upon arrival to the area of Prospect St. and Somerville Ave., Somerville Police dispatch updated responding units that the Milice was now at the Burger King Parking lot. It was later learned that dispatch had received a second call for this male who had now made his way to the Burger King.

Units responded and located Milice across the street from the Burger King. Somerville Police dispatch stated that the second reporting party was standing by in the parking lot waiting to speak to police.

The reporting party told the officers that she was in the drive through at Burger King, with her wife in the passenger’s seat, and their four month old child in the back seat. She happened to step out of the vehicle and observed Milice at the corner of the restaurant with his pants down and his genitals completely exposed.

The reporting party’s wife also observed Milice with his genitals completely exposed. Both parties asked Milice, at which time he reportedly made obscene remarks of defiance, then pulled his pants up slightly with his genitals still exposed and stated to the females that they could step outside.

The reporting parties told police that they could not believe what they had just seen and said they felt shocked and alarmed by what they had just witnessed.  They showed the officers a photo that they had captured of Milice with his pants down.

Milice was handcuffed and placed into custody. A subsequent search of his backpack turned up a large meat cleaver.

Malice was transported to the Somerville Police Headquarters and booked in the usual manner on charges of open and gross lewdness and violation of city ordinance possession of a dangerous weapon.