Just before the morning rush last Saturday, a 22-year-old woman was grabbed and groped inside the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street subway station, according to police. Investigators say the man came up from behind, grabbed her buttocks, then took off on foot through the busy Queens transit hub.
The suspect has not been identified, and the NYPD is asking riders to check their phones and any nearby door-cam footage from around that time in case the man was caught on video. Detectives have circulated a wanted flyer and are leaning on public tips to move the case forward.
On April 4, the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers account posted an alert on X, offering a reward of up to $3,500 for information that helps lead to an arrest in the case, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. The post notes that the incident falls under Transit District 20 and lists the tip lines: 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) and, in Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). It also directs the public to submit tips online through Crime Stoppers.
Transit hub has seen recent attacks
The Roosevelt/74th Street complex is one of Queens' main transfer points and, lately, a focal point for some ugly incidents. In February, a rider was punched and left bloodied in what police described as a random attack aboard an F train, according to Patch. In another case, a 72-year-old woman was kicked and sent tumbling down a subway staircase, as reported by ABC7.
Those incidents have left riders and nearby shop owners calling for more visible patrols and a stronger sense of security at the station, which connects multiple lines and sees a steady flow of commuters from early morning into late night.
What the law says
Under New York law, what police describe here is investigated as forcible touching. The statute defines it as intentionally touching another person’s sexual or other intimate parts, without a legitimate purpose, and it is codified at Penal Law §130.52 as a Class A misdemeanor that carries a potential sentence of up to one year in jail, per New York law. Courts have said that squeezing, grabbing or pinching can meet the standard when done with the required intent.
How to report tips
Anyone with information about the incident or the suspect is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers tip lines at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or to submit tips online via Crime Stoppers, according to the department.
If you were at the station around 5:50 a.m. that day and think your phone photos, videos or home security footage might have captured something, police urge you to preserve the files and share them with investigators. Officials also caution that members of the public should not confront anyone they suspect is involved, and should instead contact law enforcement.
