Simi’s Mystery Stripper Causes Chills, Not Thrills

SIMI VALLEY —  He wasn’t very tall, certainly not dark and far, very far, from handsome.

On at least eight occasions over the last month, a gangly man in his 30s with a dirty-blond mop and plentiful body hair entered a local beauty salon, asked for a particular stylist and then performed a spastic striptease to hip-hop tunes.

“It was horrible,” said JJ Lewandowski, a stylist at Hair Unlimited on Los Angeles Avenue. “He didn’t know what the heck he was doing. . . . He was just haphazardly shaking around, grooving on some weird music.”

There are no reports that the man hurt anyone. But police are on the lookout for him, and some worry the performances could be leading up to something more serious.

“At present, all we’ve received are reports of suspicious activities,” said Simi Valley Police Sgt. Gary Collins. “The patrol division is still working this, but the sex crimes unit is aware what’s happening.”

Authorities said that if the man is caught and a victim presses charges, he could face several misdemeanor counts, including trespassing, lewd behavior and sexual battery. In some cases the man reportedly rubbed up against his victim.

Collins said police have taken three complaints from salons. And at least five other salons in Simi Valley that didn’t file complaints say the man has been in to perform his routine.

According to most, the man is polite, knows their names and claims that friends purchased a strip-o-gram for them. But he has never identified himself, his company or who allegedly paid for his services.

Lewandowski, a 25-year-old stylist who was among eight in the salon who witnessed the man’s convulsive routine, said he appeared on a Monday late last month wearing a sweat-soaked shirt and a pair of cut-off shorts.

He asked for Lewandowski by name, even went as far as to tell the owners of his plan, then stripped down to a tight cotton thong.

“He looked pretty normal, but nothing like a stripper. . . . He was hairy and really pale,” she said. “I just covered my face with a towel because there was no way I could watch this guy.”

She said the dance also shocked a number of clients, some of whom were older women, and one of her co-workers managed to snap a few photos for amusement.

Lisa Lavasco, a stylist at Nicole Luther’s on Madera Road, said that she too got a gander after the man performed a series of lascivious dances for more than 15 minutes.

“I thought he was a joke stripper because he looked so goofy,” she said.

But some aren’t laughing.

“Everyone keeps telling me to look over my shoulder,” said a 30-year-old stylist who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals. “The guy knew my name and that’s making me sort of paranoid.”

However, many others have chalked up the man and his clumsy striptease to an experience that makes a fine tale.

“It’s creepy, but pretty funny,” Lewandowski said. “Sounds like he needs some serious help, a tan and maybe a routine.”