FORT PIERCE, Fla. --
Fort Pierce police have arrested a firefighter after a paramedic intern reported seeing a man peering down at her from the ceiling as she was taking a shower in the women's bathroom at the fire station.
Carlos Marti was booked at the St. Lucie County Jail on a voyeurism charge Friday.
According to an incident report, a battalion chief at St. Lucie County Fire District Station No. 15 said she saw "a male figure looking down at her from the ceiling as she was taking a shower." The report said the woman helped provide a sketch of the suspect and told officers she wanted to "press charges."
In a statement, St. Lucie County Fire District Chief Ron Parrish said Marti has been released from jail and is on unpaid administrative leave. Parrish said Marti confessed to the voyeurism.
Parrish put out a statement on Friday saying, To the female victim, who is a paramedic intern, this incident should never have occurred and is inexcusable behavior. The district hopes the actions of one firefighter will not affect her future career choices.
According to police reports, Mari said it was only meant to be a prank. He said he was trying to make the intern feel like she was part of the team.
Ive never seen or suspected him of anything like that, said Martis neighbor, Laura Schear. He seemed really nice. I never thought he would do that.
Schear and her daughter, Lillian, said they were caught off guard by the news that their next-door neighbor had been arrested and accused of voyeurism.
Thats very surprising, she said.
Marti was trusted by many in his quiet Vero Beach neighborhood.
"He should be setting an example, said his neighbor, Carol Carson. Especially (for) children (who) look up to the firefighters and the policemen and expect better of them."
WPBF 25 News was told that while all staff members on the shift were taken to the Fort Pierce Police Department to be fingerprinted and questioned, other firefighters from nearby stations were brought in to cover any emergencies. That shift left staffing below normal levels at those stations.
Copyright 2010 by WPBF.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
