Schuylkill County’s most recent Fugitive of the Week failed to appear for a preliminary hearing earlier this week to answer to charges that he was caught masturbating in his vehicle outside Sheetz in Pottsville.
A warrant was issued for Gerald O. Frew, 66, on Monday after he was a no-show for a preliminary hearing on indecent exposure and lewdness charges before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley.
Frew is this week’s Schuylkill County Fugitive of the Week. He also failed to appear for a bail revocation hearing at Schuylkill County Courthouse on Aug. 8, according to Schuylkill County Detectives and the District Attorney’s Office.
Frew, of Tower City, was originally charged with DUI and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
At Monday’s hearing, an employee of Sheetz in Pottsville testified that there is video evidence of a customer witnessing Frew masturbating in his vehicle on June 3, in broad daylight at about 4:30 p.m.
The customer who told the Sheetz employee about Frew’s alleged actions in the parking lot said she had her daughter with her and that another customer with two small children also witnessed what Frew was doing.
While he was allegedly pleasuring himself, Frew had the windows down on his black Dodge Challenger. The witness said she could see that Frew’s pants were down around his ankles and saw the top of his penis.
When the customer saw Frew’s penis, she reportedly dialed 9-1-1. That’s when Frew allegedly left the parking lot, circling it once in his vehicle.
Police say they viewed the security footage which reportedly shows the customer interacting with Frew in the parking lot. However, the video has no sound so it’s unknown what the customer said to Frew, police say.
On June 17, police say they spoke with the witness customer by phone who described what she’d seen at Sheetz earlier in the month.
A few days later, on June 20, Frew met with police at City Hall in Pottsville. He reportedly denied masturbating on the day in question. Instead, he said he couldn’t make it to the restroom so he decided to urinate in a bottle in his car.
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...
Shawn strouphauer
August 22, 2025 at 5:30 am
Dude was just taking a.leak and so.e lady catches ssight of his tally whacker and right away he rubin one out…..maybe the lady is the sick twisted one here…who hasn’t takin a piss in a bottle in your car….I’ll tell ya who, women thats who , no wonder they do t know the difference between pissing in a bottle and runnin the old hand pump, come on ladie get it together for f***s sake!!!