Cops: Ex-con peeped in woman's bathroom

Police say an Elgin man who previously served jail time for an attempted kidnapping of an Elgin Community College Student was arrested last week after police caught him peeking over a stall in a woman's washroom.

Thomas Siebert, 56, of the 1800 block of Mark Avenue, was arrested on Nov. 16 for a DUI after police were called to a retail store on the 800 block of Randall Road because he was seen approaching women in the parking lot, police said.

Police said he was pacing down store aisles, erratically leaving the store and approaching female shoppers as they were placing groceries in their cars.

“He would then drive around the parking lot, stop to look into cars, get back in his vehicle then park before going back into the store,” Elgin Detective Brian Gorcowski said.

Responding officers charged Siebert with a DUI that night, but after realizing his criminal history decided to keep an eye on him.

On Monday, police spotted Siebert driving to a Huntley grocery store on the 12000 block of Village Green where he was seen entering a woman's washroom.

“When we observed Siebert going in and out of the woman's washroom at the grocery store, we decided to send in an undercover female police officer to help avoid any risk or potential harm to the public,” Gorcowski said.

The undercover officer found Siebert peering at her over the stall wall within minutes of walking in the bathroom, police said.

While working with the Huntley police department on the arrest, Elgin police learned the Huntley department had an open investigation involving a man with a description similar to Siebert who was peering over women's washroom stalls.

Siebert was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and criminal trespass to property Monday, police said.

“Siebert has been released on bond,” Gorcowski said. “But we believe there is a strong potential other people were victimized and were reluctant to file a police report.”

Siebert, who has a criminal history in Illinois, California and Florida, pleaded guilty in an attempted kidnapping and beating of a student on the Elgin Community College Campus in 2007.

He approached a 21-year-old student from Aurora in the parking lot of the college and tried to drag her into his vehicle after punching her in the face multiple times.

A witness of 2007 the attack started shouting, causing Siebert to flee. He was arrested more than a week later during a traffic stop for an unrelated incident.

Siebert was sentenced to five years in prison for the attack, but had previously served time for robbery, battery and drug offenses in Florida, according to Daily Herald records.

Anyone with information regarding the cases or who has been victimized, particularly in Elgin, Dundee, Carpentersville or Huntley is asked to contact police or Detective Gorcowski at (847) 289-2613.