Altamonte Springs man accused of groping women at store, Chabad
Court records say Mario Gomez had more than 10 prior reports and at least five convictions before two Altamonte Springs women accused him of unwanted touching.
A 39-year-old Altamonte Springs man is accused of repeatedly touching women in ordinary public places, a case that now spans a beauty store on Altamonte Drive and a Chabad on South Westmonte Drive. Court records tied Mario Gomez to more than 10 prior reports and at least five convictions, raising hard questions about what, if any, intervention slowed him before the newest allegations.
The newest Ulta Beauty allegation centers on Easter Sunday, April 20, at the store on Altamonte Drive in Altamonte Springs. Police say surveillance video showed Gomez following a woman around the shop before he grabbed her from behind. The woman allegedly turned and punched him in the face, and he left quickly. Investigators later identified Gomez in a photo lineup after the woman picked him out.
A separate allegation dates to April 1 during a Passover service at Chabad of Altamonte Springs on South Westmonte Drive. In that account, police say Gomez touched a woman’s feet, then later touched her chest, followed her to her apartment building and grabbed and kissed her multiple times after she tried to help him. Investigators linked that victim to Gomez through a photo lineup, then reviewed his criminal history and found earlier allegations involving women.
The Chabad’s published Pesach schedule shows Passover services and community events ran from April 1 through April 9, and the synagogue says security is present at all services. That detail matters in a county where the allegations reach not just a store, but a place of worship and the apartment complex trail that followed the second woman home.
The case also shows how local records can build a repeat-offender file. The Altamonte Springs Police Department’s records section handles arrest reports and offense and incident reports, while the Seminole County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller provides public records and case-search systems for county filings and official records. For victims of repeated unwanted contact, those records can show whether a suspect has been arrested before, how many complaints have been filed and what charges have already moved through the system. In this case, the record trail already points to more than 10 prior reports and at least five convictions, even as the latest allegations came from places where people expect to feel safe.
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