BATON ROUGE — The 54-year-old owner and president of Durham Real Estate was arrested and accused of peeping into a former neighbor’s bathroom.
Robert Durham, known as Robby, was arrested Sunday, April 23 after the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call for a suspicious incident on Tuesday night. He bonded out Sunday night on a $7,500 bond, according to prison records.
It was around 8 p.m. when a couple on Mossy Oak Ave. was in their primary bedroom and bathroom. The wife was taking a bath. That’s when the husband went into the bathroom to check on his wife and reportedly noticed a “flash” from a bathroom window out of the corner of his eye, the arrest document states. He also noticed that the window’s blinds were open, which he thought was odd because he said they’re never open, records show. However, he brushed it off figuring his wife may have opened them and that the “flash” he saw may have been his own reflection in the window glass.
At this time, the husband said he was uneasy and thought he saw something move again outside the window. This time, he went outside the home and towards the bathroom window.
The husband would later tell a deputy that when he went outside, he saw Robert “Robby” Durham, 54, leaving the alley quickly. The affidavit goes on to say he was walking towards where his SUV was parked at the corner of Mossy Oak Ave. and Creek Dr., a dead-end street.
Nearly 10 years ago, Durham and the victims were neighbors, which is how they knew each other.
Durham allegedly continued walking away from the victim very quickly all while the man kept asking him why he was on the side of their home. Durham did allegedly, the affidavit shows, respond that he “was looking for a dog that he hit with his SUV.” After fidgeting with his SUV’s wheels for a bit, he got in his vehicle and fled the area.
Meanwhile, the homeowner reached out to a neighbor with surveillance cameras and asked to see the recording.
According to records, at 7:16 p.m., Durham allegedly “drove to the area and parked and exited his vehicle. He was seen approaching the area between the homes and leaving in his vehicle shortly after.”
Eight minutes later at 7:24 p.m., Durham is said to have returned to the area, parked at the corner of Mossy Oak Ave. & Creek Dr. before walking in the alley next to the victims’ home.
Durham allegedly stayed there for 46 minutes, according to security camera footage, until he was seen walking back to his SUV at 8:10 p.m. when the husband was following him.
Throughout the entire time, no dog was ever seen in the area.
The homeowner then went back to the side of the bathroom window where he saw “fresh shoe tread marks” in the soft mud. Documents say Durham allegedly “had been squatting behind it for some time, moving back and forth.”
The homeowner says he did try to call and go see Durham, but was unsuccessful. It’s why a warrant was issued for Durham’s arrest.
Durham is charged with one count of peeping tom. This charge does not allow for a mugshot to be released per the new law.
A bond has not been set at this time.
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Hi Kiran, your coverage had more details than the WBRZ report. I was left with questions after I read theirs. Your coverage answered my questions. Thank you, Ashlyn.