College Park voyeur suspect turns himself in to UMPD

By: Miguel Zarate

Johnson-Whittle Hall, where a recording device was found in a bathroom on March 11. (Miguel Zarate/La Voz Latina)

COLLEGE PARK — A College Park man turned himself in on March 18 to the University of Maryland Police Department after he was charged in connection with a voyeur incident.  

On March 11, a resident of Johnson-Whittle Hall reported that she found a portable recording device inside of a single-use bathroom. After the device was collected by the UMPD Criminal Investigations Unit, police conducted a canvass and found that no additional electronic devices were found in the building. UMPD has not confirmed the exact type of device.

On March 14, UMPD detectives applied for and received an arrest warrant for Noah Michael White, 19, for misdemeanor charges of Peeping Tom, Visual Surveillance Private Place with Prurient Intent and Visual Surveillance of a Private Area. He turned himself in to the Department of Corrections in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

UMPD’s public information officer declined to release information while the investigation is still ongoing.

According to a statement from Dennis Passarella-George, the director for the Department of Resident Life, to residents of the hall, White was identified as a Johnson-Whittle resident before he turned himself in.

“The safety and well-being of our community is our priority. I am thankful to the University of Maryland Police for their round-the-clock investigative work and swift action in identifying the suspected perpetrator of this incident,” said Passarella-George. 

He encouraged anyone impacted by the incident to reach out to the University Counseling Center at 301-314-7651 or at counseling.umd.edu.

Rebecca Aloisi, the university’s senior director of communications, told La Voz Latina that White’s access to campus has been denied.

“This individual has been referred to the Office of Student Conduct and has been denied access to campus with no access to University technology networks or accounts pending further investigation,” wrote Aloisi. “The University is working diligently in close collaboration with UMPD to learn more about this incident and is providing resources and support to our community. We are taking additional precautions, and nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students.”

Christian Ward, a freshman resident of Johnson-Whittle, said that White seemed like “any other guy” in the dorm, though the student said they were not close. The freshman added, he feels much more wary of other students who live in the dorm after the incident.