They got the “red-car flasher,” cops say, but where's the red car?

The smoking gun in the two-year-long case of dozens of indecent-exposure reports, a red Toyota Camry, was not with 24-year-old Luis Bucio-Cedeno when cops arrested him at his North Hills residence over the weekend.

But they still think he's the red-car flasher, and here's why:

His aunt owned just such a red Camry and recently sold it to someone in Santa Clarita, according to the LAPD. She told investigators he had borrowed it for months at a time.

Detectives say Bucio-Cedeno went on a two-year tear, exposing himself to women and girls throughout the Valley.

He was arrested Friday after being coaxed out his home, cops say. They had in their hands a 19-count warrant detailing allegations involving 11 victims, including suspicion of indecent exposure, child annoying, lewd conduct, and sexual battery.

Those 11, police said, identified Bucio-Cedeno in photo lineups.

Officers tracked him down after a jogger wrote down the plate number of a van driven by a man who exposed himself to her, according to the LAPD.

That driver was speaking to a guy in a red Toyota parked next to it, cops said. That guy … also exposed himself to the victim, according to police.

Yeah.

That van's plate subsequently led officers to “several” other cars, one of which was registered to Bucio-Cedeno, cops said.

The suspect was jailed in lieu of $110,000 bail. But he was also put on a no-bail federal immigration hold, police said.

Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of LAPD Mission Division detectives:

We're sure now that Bucio-Cedeno is our red-car flasher. We think he's responsible for far more cases than we've been able to make, and what's worse, this case has shown us there are many more of these types of suspects than we ever realized.

If you think Bucio-Cedeno put on a show for you or someone you know, detectives would like to hear from you: 818-838-9975.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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