In the middle of a Monday afternoon on the Upper West Side, police say a man walked into a building, struck up a conversation with a 27-year-old woman, asked for her number, then grabbed her buttocks before bolting back out the door.
The NYPD is now asking for help identifying the suspect in the alleged forcible touching, which happened around 3:20 p.m. on April 27 inside 808 Columbus Avenue. Detectives have released photos of the man they are looking for and are urging anyone who recognizes him to speak up.
What police posted
According to an NYPD Crime Stoppers Facebook post, the alert is headlined “WANTED FOR FORCIBLE TOUCHING” and lays out the basic timeline: last Monday (April 27) at about 3:20 p.m., inside 808 Columbus Avenue, involving a 27-year-old female victim.
Police say the man approached the woman, asked for her phone number, then allegedly grabbed her buttocks before fleeing on foot. The notice includes still images of the suspect and asks the public to help put a name to the face.
How to report tips
Detectives are asking anyone with information, or security or cellphone video from around the time of the incident, to contact Crime Stoppers. Per the NYPD Crime Stoppers page, tips can be submitted by direct message to @NYPDTips on social media or by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Police are also reminding potential witnesses to preserve any footage they might have captured and share it with investigators rather than deleting or recording over it.
Forcible touching under state law
Under New York law, “forcible touching” is defined as the intentional, nonconsensual touching of another person’s sexual or intimate parts for the purpose of degrading the victim or for the actor’s sexual gratification, per Penal Law §130.52.
The offense is generally treated as a misdemeanor that can carry up to a year in jail, according to legal resources such as FindLaw. If an arrest is made, prosecutors would decide what charges to pursue based on the evidence and the specific circumstances.
Where this fits in a broader pattern
This is not the only recent case where police say someone was groped in a public or semi-public space and the NYPD turned to crowdsourced tips to track down a suspect. In recent weeks, Crime Stoppers has posted several similar wanted notices, and local outlets have been keeping tabs on them.
Those include a 50th Street platform groping incident and a separate Grand Central groping, both tracked in recent coverage. Taken together, the alerts show how heavily the NYPD is leaning on bystander video and public tips to move these investigations forward.
What to do if you saw something
If you were near 808 Columbus Avenue around 3:20 p.m. on April 27 and saw anything that might help, police want to hear from you. You can contact Crime Stoppers via the Facebook post above, send a direct message to @NYPDTips, or call 1-800-577-TIPS.
For non-emergency questions or neighborhood follow-up, you can also reach out to the local stationhouse, the 24th Precinct. Tips can be given anonymously and may be eligible for a reward through the Crime Stoppers program.
