Police are seeking assistance in locating a man accused of groping a 19-year-old woman on a Brooklyn sidewalk and then fleeing the area near Eastern Parkway. The incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. Sunday near Nostrand Avenue within the 71st Precinct. Detectives have released images of a person of interest and are asking anyone who recognizes him to come forward.
NYPD posts photos asking for help
In a Thursday post, NYPD Crimestoppers on Facebook shared photos connected to the case and said the suspect approached the victim from behind, grabbed her buttocks and fled on foot. The post lays out the different ways to submit anonymous tips and urges anyone who thinks they recognize the man in the pictures to contact investigators.
Investigators review footage and canvass
Local reporting says detectives are reviewing surveillance footage from the area and canvassing for witnesses as they work the case. Shore News Network reported the NYPD is treating the incident as forcible touching and that no arrests had been announced as of Thursday.
What the charge means
Under New York law, "forcible touching" covers squeezing, grabbing or pinching intimate body parts and is classified as a class A misdemeanor. The statute says forcible touching occurs when someone intentionally touches another person’s sexual or other intimate parts to degrade or abuse that person, or to gratify sexual desire. The full language is laid out in New York Penal Law §130.52.
How to report tips
Officials say anyone with information can send a direct message to @NYPDTips or call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. The city’s Crime Stoppers page notes that tips can also be filed online or through a mobile app and that callers may remain anonymous; see NYPD Crime Stoppers for details.
Neighborhood context
Police appeals for help identifying suspected groppers have been frequent across the city, with the department sharing surveillance stills and wanted photos in other forcible-touching cases in recent months. Hoodline previously covered a string of similar incidents in Astoria that led to comparable public pleas for tips and video evidence.
Anyone who recognizes the individual in the NYPD release or has relevant footage is asked to contact Crime Stoppers by direct message at @NYPDTips or by calling 1-800-577-TIPS. Tips can be submitted anonymously and may be eligible for a reward if they lead to an arrest, according to officials.
