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Kent prowler's history shows guilty verdict in 2017 case at Strongsville's SouthPark Mall

Franzreb’s criminal history shows he was at the center of a public indecency case that happened in 2017 involving two teenagers.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — The man accused of prowling on the porches of sorority houses near Kent State University was the subject of a public indecency case in 2017.

Earlier this month, Steven Franzreb was caught multiple times on video in Kent wearing nothing but his underwear. At times, he had writing on his body and was on the phone with an unknown person.

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Police finally caught up to him when he was arrested Friday at his job in Broadview Heights. Management at D’Agnese’s where he was employed declined to comment on his arrest or current employment status.

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A brief search of Franzreb’s criminal history shows he was at the center of a public indecency case that happened in 2017 involving two teenagers at Strongsville's SouthPark Mall. 

Shannon Berchtold is one of the two women involved in that 2017 incident and called police.

According to the police report, Franzreb was reported as being fully naked in his car while masturbating in the mall’s parking lot. She saw this through a passenger window as the car approached them.

“He was completely naked like he wasn’t wearing anything,” recalled Berchtold. “It was shocking honestly. And it stuck with us for a few days.”

Berchtold says she was shocked to learn of his most recent case in Kent, but also noted she’s not surprised.

“If he’s done it once in a public area with children around and anyone watching him, it’s not shocking that he would do it again,” she said.

For the 2017 case, Franzreb was found guilty and sentenced to 5 days in jail, a $100 fine, and a year of probation.

This time around, Franzreb is facing a felony charge of menacing by stalking. He’ll be arraigned in Ravenna Municipal Court on Tuesday afternoon. Berchtold hopes he learns his lesson this time.

“I would honestly hope that he gets put away or he gets some help,” Berchtold said. “Mental help… to realize why he’s doing this – why he feels the need to do this.”

 

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