ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – A man accused of inappropriately touching women at an Altamonte Springs beauty store and a Jewish Chabad has been arrested before — with more than 10 reports on his record and at least five convictions, according to court documents obtained by News 6.
Newly released body camera video from police in Ormond Beach shows officers arresting Mario A. Gomez, 39, on April 18, when he was found and taken into custody on warrants out of Seminole County. Gomez is facing charges in two separate cases for allegedly inappropriately touching two women.
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An arrest affidavit for Gomez says he approached a woman on Easter Sunday while she was shopping at Ulta Beauty on Altamonte Drive in Altamonte Springs. A woman told police a man purposefully walked past her and grabbed her from behind.
Surveillance video showed the man following her around the store before the contact occurred, the affidavit states. After she was touched, the woman immediately turned around and punched him in the face, which led to the man quickly walking out of the store, according to the affidavit.
A second arrest affidavit details an incident from April 1st during a Passover service at Chabad of Altamonte Springs, located at on S. Westmonte Drive. A woman told police that Gomez sat across from her during the service and touched her feet with his.
The affidavit says she ignored it but felt uncomfortable. When she stepped outside for fresh air, Gomez allegedly followed her and touched her chest. According to the affidavit, she told police it felt innocent at the time and may have been accidental, but the following morning Gomez asked her for housing assistance and said he was homeless.
The woman invited him to her apartment building to give him bedding and other items. According to the affidavit, Gomez then grabbed her two more times and aggressively kissed her on the cheek three times.
Investigators had both victims identify Gomez as the suspect in a photo lineup. They also checked Gomez’s criminal history and discovered multiple instances where he’s been accused of touching women or forcing women to kiss him. The affidavit says there were over 10 reports and at least 5 of them led to convictions in previous years.
News 6 obtained some of Gomez’s previous reports from Pinellas County. In one case from June 2016, a woman was approached from behind while she was shopping at a store.
The report states he placed his hands on her shoulders and put his face close to her in an “inappropriate manner.” He reportedly admitted to “touching” females and said the victim had “pretty eyes.”
Another report from 2016 states Gomez intentionally grabbed a woman in a “bear hug” while trying to kiss her.
In 2017, a report says a librarian was collecting books when Gomez started to make comments about “how beautiful she is” and followed her from aisle to aisle. The report says he started to talk in a “pepe le pew French accent” and called the woman his “little flower” while “aggressively following” her. The woman also said she was grabbed and hugged, and he tried to kiss her, the report states.
In 2025, another report in Pinellas County says Gomez touched a woman’s chest and when she walked away he followed her and grabbed her by the shoulders. The victim said he only left when threatened with pepper spray, according to the report.
Our News 6 team spoke to shoppers in Altamonte Springs who say the pattern of behavior is what concerns them most.
“You just need to keep your head on a swivel,” one shopper said. “The police department can do as much as they can possibly do. They pass it on to the Courts.”
Because of Gomez’s criminal history, police say they worked with the State Attorney’s Office to upgrade his charges in Seminole County to felony battery.
Online records show Gomez is being held at the jail on a $10,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for June 9.