A St. Paul man is accused of sexually exposing himself outside multiple homes with children present — and trying to open at least one door.
Adonjai Dashi Benson, 21, was charged Thursday with a felony count of attempted burglary and 5th degree criminal sexual conduct for masturbation and lewd exhibition with children present. A judge Monday set Benson’s bail at $35,000.
Adonjai Dashi Benson (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)
According to the criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court, police were called Aug. 2 to the intersection of Aurora Avenue and North Mackubin Street, in the Summit-University neighborhood, on a report of a naked man showing himself through a woman’s porch window, as well as the adjacent homes’, and attempted to break and enter.
Several people were inside the homes, including multiple children as young as 3 years old.
According to the criminal complaint, after walking around exposing himself through the glass doors on the porches, backyards and windows of the two adjacent homes, Benson stood in front of a sliding glass door, asked the woman who was home for water and continued to expose himself. He then opened the screen door and attempted to open the locked glass sliding door. Police were immediately called.
Benson was identified by police through photos taken by the woman that she provided as evidence.
Benson was also charged with exposing himself in front of building residents and children Aug. 14 outside 10 W. Exchange St., a public housing hi-rise in downtown St. Paul.
According to the report, Benson was exposing himself outside the lobby entrance. A resident let Benson into the apartment, and when St. Paul police identified themselves and knocked on the apartment door, there was no response.
The report details that before leaving the building the officer was approached by a resident and asked if they were there for “penis man.” The resident said Benson visits the apartment often and regularly exposes himself to residents inside and outside of the building.
Benson exposed himself and urinated on the building that same day, with children present, according to witnesses.
Police located Benson the next day at the Exchange Street building, where he had been staying with a resident. According to the complaint, when asked why he was revealing himself, Benson did not respond.
Benson previously was arrested June, 10, 2023, for indecent exposure after following a woman around Cub Foods at 1177 Clarence St. openly masturbating. According to the criminal complaint, police identified Benson from the store’s security footage, and when they tried to arrest him, Benson pushed an officer, causing them to fall on the ground. He was found legally incompetent to proceed with the court case against him.
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