Philadelphia police are actively searching for 29-year-old Noel Vargas, who is accused of indecently assaulting a woman and a teenage girl in separate incidents in the Fishtown neighborhood. According to PHL17, the Special Victims Unit has issued an arrest warrant for Vargas, who is wanted on two counts each of Indecent Assault, Simple Assault, and Harassment. The first incident occurred on March 25, where Vargas is alleged to have approached a woman from behind and pinched her buttocks as she buckled her child into a car. The second assault took place last Friday, involving a 13-year-old girl who was grabbed in a bear hug on her way to school, with the encounter caught on a doorbell camera.
Local residents are reportedly on edge, as Vargas remains at large. Neighbors indicated that law enforcement visited Vargas' family home on East York Street, but the family stated that Noel did not live there. "The fact that he seems to be very quickly escalating in his behavior and confidence is obviously very worrisome," the 36-year-old mother involved in the first incident told 6ABC, choosing to remain anonymous.
In response to the incidents, the community is on high alert, with many individuals keeping watch for any signs of Vargas. Surveillance footage from one of the assaults shows the man dressed in all black fleeing the scene. If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of Noel Vargas, they are encouraged to contact the Philadelphia Police tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477). Furthermore, resources for victims of sexual assault can be accessed through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, as indicated by NBC Philadelphia.
Witnesses to the second incident described the distressing scenes. Tori King recounted hearing the 13-year-old girl scream and initially mistaking it for play until realizing the severity of the situation. "She said the guy came up behind her and grabbed her, almost in a chokehold. She was so cute, she said, 'I take self-defense, so I was able to get away,'" King shared in an interview obtained by 6ABC.
