The Houston Police Department is currently on the search for a man accused of groping a 7-year-old girl as she walked home from school in the Woodland Heights neighborhood, an alarming event that took place around 3 p.m. on Monday. The suspect, described as having a large build and a distinctive mustache, was last seen wearing a black flat-brimmed baseball cap, possibly bearing a Chicago White Sox logo, along with a camouflage jacket, a white tank top, and blue jeans, according to a report by Click2Houston.
The young girl, a first grader at Travis Elementary, was walking alongside her older sister and a neighbor at the time of the incident that occurred between the 700 and 800 blocks of Omar Street, and home security cameras in the vicinity have captured clear footage of the suspect, the footage has been released with the victim's and other minors' appearances blurred, local authorities are asking residents to check their own home security footage for additional sightings, in hopes of apprehending the individual responsible, as indicated by ABC13.
The Houston community has expressed concern and is working together to assist the family in gathering evidence, Holly Roemisch, a local parent, highlighted the significance of collecting video footage post-incident stating, "Think the most important thing was once the kid was secure and at home, to see if there was any footage to see what the man looks like and identify him to police," ABC13 reported. Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that may lead to the identification and arrest of the suspect.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the incident can submit tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477), online at crime-stoppers.org, or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app. Residents in the area are encouraged to provide any relevant home surveillance footage that may aid in the investigation.
