COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — An Uptown man is accused of exposing himself to students as he drove his conversion van past their school bus on the Eisenhower Expy. in September.
Eugene R. Himelstein, 51, of the 4700 block of North Racine Avenue, was masturbating as he drove alongside the school bus, prosecutors alleged in court Sunday as he faced two felony counts of public indecency and exposure.
Prosecutors said Himelstein exposed himself on Sept. 10. Court documents also allege he exposed himself and masturbated in front of students on Sept. 6 in the same area of the Eisenhower.
On Sept. 10 about 7:20 a.m., while on the way to Providence St. Mel School, a female student saw Himelstein driving alongside the bus in a gold conversion van, Assistant State's Attorney Jacqueline Kwilos said.
The student saw Himelstein shirtless and masturbating as he looked at the bus and smiled, Kwilos said.
Kwilos said the bus was near on the expressway as it headed to the private school, which serves students from preschool through high school in East Garfield Park.
The student gave the van's license plate number to authorities, and Himelstein was arrested Saturday, Kwilos said. The witness identified Himelstein, who admitted to police what he had done, according to Kwilos.
According to court documents, among the students who saw him was a 16-year-old girl and another female student whose age was not given.
Kwilos said Himelstein has previously been convicted of two misdemeanor public indecency charges in the 1980s.
Judge James Brown ordered Himelstein held on $75,000 bail and ordered him to wear electronic monitoring should he post bail.
