Man arrested after alleged indecent act outside of Saanich home: Police

Saanich police vehicles are shown in this file photo: (CTV News)

Saanich police say a man was arrested after he allegedly committed an indecent act outside of a home window, before trying to enter the property.

The incident occurred just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday in the Gordon Head area. Police say the victim was inside their home when they spotted the man looking through a sliding glass door.

The man proceeded to take off his pants and perform an indecent act, police say.

"The man then walked toward the door to grab the handle to enter but the victim was able to quickly run up and lock it from inside," Saanich police said in release Monday.

Once the door was locked, the man reportedly ran from the area on foot through the property's backyard.

Officers were called to the scene and were able to locate the suspect, with the help of a police dog, at a park in the 4300-block of Tyndall Avenue.

He was arrested without incident and appeared in court later Sunday.

Police say the man, 41-year-old Sherwin Batley, is facing charges of break and enter and indecent act.

Saanich police note that Batley has a "lengthy criminal history" with some other matters still before the courts.

"This was a terrifying event for the victim, who had never seen this man prior to this encounter," said police Monday.

"The quick actions of the victim prevented this from escalating into a potentially much more serious incident."