Arcata Man Arrested for Indecent Exposure on Humboldt Campus

On Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at approximately 6:05 am, the University Police Department received a report that an unknown male had exposed himself and masturbated in front of two female students in the forest along Granite Avenue Extension on campus. Officers responded that morning but were initially unable to locate a suspect. During the subsequent investigation investigators determined the same man had been observed peering into multiple windows of a campus residence hall.

Investigators identified 24 year old Victor Phetsomphou of Arcata, who is not a student at Cal Poly Humboldt, as a person of interest. On Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, University Police, with assistance from the Arcata Police Department, served a search warrant and an arrest warrant at Phetsomphou’s residence in Arcata. Several evidentiary items were collected and Phetsomphou was taken into custody without incident.

Phetsomphou was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked on four counts: PC 314.1 Indecent Exposure, PC 185 Being Masked While Committing a Crime, PC 647(a) Lewd Acts in Public, and PC 647(J)(1) Peeping. His bail was set at $85,000. The investigation remains ongoing and investigators say they are continuing to follow leads.

For students and residents, the case highlights the vulnerability of early morning routes and campus perimeter areas that back onto residential neighborhoods. University and city police coordinated the investigation and arrest, demonstrating cross jurisdictional cooperation in responding to incidents that involve both campus and Arcata neighborhoods. Residents who may have been in the area on the morning of Dec. 4 or who observed suspicious activity near Granite Avenue Extension or campus residence halls are encouraged to contact the University Police Department at (707) 826-5555 with information.