Police have released surveillance images of a man they say pressed his body against a 35-year-old woman on a northbound Q77 MTA bus during the Friday morning rush, March 27, before bolting from the coach near Hollis Avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard. Investigators say he ran off on foot and has not been found, and they are asking riders and nearby residents to comb through any phone video or door-cam footage that might have caught the suspect or the bus. The alert went public as detectives canvassed the corridor for riders willing to talk about what they saw.
In a wanted notice posted on X, NYPD Crime Stoppers shared still images of the man and appealed for help putting a name to the face. The post pinpoints the incident at about 7:50 a.m. on a Q77 bus in the vicinity of Hollis Avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard and states that the suspect pressed his body against the victim before fleeing. According to the city's Crime Stoppers program, tips that lead to an arrest and indictment may qualify for a reward of up to $3,500, and information can be submitted anonymously by phone or online; full details are listed on the NYPD Crime Stoppers page.
What police say
The NYPD describes the encounter as a quick but forceful contact: the man allegedly “pressed his body” against the 35-year-old woman, then exited the bus and ran off to an unknown location. Detectives have not released a name, and no arrest information appears in the public notice. Police say investigators are working to identify the man based on the surveillance images that accompanied the alert.
Where it happened
The wanted notice locates the scene in the Hollis Avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard area, a busy transit corridor in southeast Queens where multiple Q77 stops line Hillside Avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard. The Q77 route and recent Queens bus network changes are detailed in the MTA's route materials, which show the line serving that part of the borough; route maps and stop information are posted on the MTA. With buses often tightly packed during the morning rush hour, police say crowd-shot rider video and nearby door-cam clips can be crucial in picking out suspects after the fact.
How to help
Anyone who recognizes the man in the photos or has images or video from a Q77 ride around that time is asked not to delete the footage and to contact Crime Stoppers. Tips can be shared anonymously by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), by using the Spanish tip line at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or by submitting an online tip through NYPD Crime Stoppers. Tipsters may be eligible for a reward if their information results in an arrest and indictment.
Legal notes
New York Penal Law §130.52 defines forcible touching as intentionally touching another person's sexual or intimate parts to degrade that person or to gratify the actor's sexual desire. The statute specifies that forcible touching “includes squeezing, grabbing or pinching.” The offense is ordinarily prosecuted as a class A misdemeanor. For the full statute language and related guidance, see New York Courts.
Why this matters
This Q77 case is one of several recent public wanted notices tied to groping or forcible touching on city buses and sidewalks, and it mirrors past incidents on the same line. For context, coverage of a separate Q77 sexual-abuse alert in February and a FOX 5 New York report on a 2023 Q77 case involving an 11-year-old passenger show this corridor has drawn repeated attention. Officials say public tips and surveillance footage have helped crack previous investigations, which is why the NYPD moved quickly to circulate images in this latest incident.
Detectives with the 105th Precinct are continuing to investigate and urge anyone with immediate, real-time information to call 911. Those with non-emergency details are asked to preserve any potential evidence, such as video or photos, and then contact Crime Stoppers. Police have not released a detailed suspect description beyond the photos included in the public alert.
