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Steven Fairbanks, 46, was charged with public indecency after allegedly masturbating in front of a Corvallis woman's house.

(Benton County Jail)

There's no good place to lose your keys, but among the least judicious places could be the place police allege you just committed a crime.

A woman's quick thinking and a man's keys helped Corvallis police identify Steven Fairbanks, 46, as the man they allege masturbated in front of a woman on July 8.

The woman told police that Fairbanks asked if he could sit in the shade by her apartment patio late afternoon Thursday. He sat a few moments, then moved away and started masturbating, she told police. He then turned around and faced her, continuing to masturbate, the woman said, according to a Corvallis Police Department news release.

The woman went inside the house and called police, but by the time she went back outside the suspect was gone, police said.

But Fairbanks returned, saying he lost his keys, police said. The woman stepped on the keys to keep him from leaving before police arrived. He was gone by the time they did, but the woman managed to snap a picture of him while he looked for his keys, according to police. The officers recognized the man in the photo as Fairbanks and arrested him the next day.

Fairbanks was booked into the Benton County Jail on one charge of public indecency and was let out on $12,500.

-- Fedor Zarkhin

fzarkhin@oregonian.com

503-294-7674; @fedorzarkhin