Police are searching for a man who, they say, groped a 29-year-old woman in Carroll Gardens early last Saturday, then bolted into the night.
According to investigators, the woman was walking near the intersection of Clinton and Carroll streets at about 2:15 a.m. when an unknown man came up from behind, grabbed her rear and ran west on Carroll Street. The suspect is described as younger, with a slim build and a dark complexion. In photos released by authorities, he is seen wearing a black ski mask, a black sweatshirt, gray pants and gray shoes.
The incident happened about a block from popular pizzeria Lucali’s, and detectives have circulated still images from the footage in the neighborhood in hopes that someone will recognize him, as first reported by Brooklyn Eagle.
How police want the public to help
The NYPD is asking anyone who recognizes the man, or who has video from the area, to contact Crime Stoppers. Tipsters can call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit an internet tip or use the department’s Crime Stoppers app.
Victims or witnesses who need to report a sex crime can call the NYPD’s 24-hour sex-crimes lines at 646-610-7272 or 212-267-7273. For more information, see NYPD Crime Stoppers and the NYPD site for reporting details.
A pattern of forcible-touching alerts
This Carroll Gardens case comes amid a run of similar Crime Stoppers wanted alerts around Brooklyn in recent weeks, with detectives repeatedly putting out surveillance stills after reported gropings. Hoodline has tracked several of these notices, including a recent Greenpoint case in which two women were reportedly groped, part of a steady stream of public pleas for tips. See Greenpoint groper on the loose for more on that trend.
Legal note
Under New York law, forcible touching, which includes squeezing, grabbing or pinching another person’s intimate parts, is set out in Penal Law section 130.52 and is treated as a class A misdemeanor. For the statute text, see the New York State Senate.
Detectives say the investigation is ongoing and are urging residents with door-cam video or other footage from the Clinton and Carroll area to check their phones and contact investigators if they spot anything useful. Anyone with information that could help identify the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers or the NYPD tip lines, and officials note that tips can be submitted anonymously. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
