Police are looking for a subway rider they say grabbed a woman on a crowded Midtown platform, then slipped away into the overnight flow of commuters at the 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal station.
The incident happened in the early hours of June 25, when an unidentified man allegedly grabbed a 35-year-old woman’s chest over her clothing inside the station, then fled before officers arrived, according to investigators. Detectives are reviewing station video and talking to witnesses as they work to put a name to the face.
The NYPD’s Crime Stoppers unit posted a "WANTED FOR FORCIBLE TOUCHING" alert on X on July 1 that pins the incident at about 2:30 a.m. on June 25 and lists the victim’s age as 35, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers on X. The post says the suspect forcibly touched the woman’s chest over her clothing and features surveillance stills aimed at jogging riders’ memories. Crime Stoppers notes that anyone who helps lead police to an arrest and indictment could be eligible for a cash reward.
Part Of A String Of Transit Alerts
This wanted notice is the latest in a stretch of Crime Stoppers bulletins seeking suspects in groping and forcible touching cases across the subway system this spring, including incidents near Port Authority earlier in the year, according to subway creep hunted near Port Authority. Those alerts have leaned heavily on station cameras and cellphone video to identify suspects and have stirred fresh debate over what it takes to keep riders safe in Midtown. Riders and advocacy groups have been pushing for more plainclothes patrols on busy platforms.
How To Submit Tips
Anyone with information is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). For Spanish, callers can use 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), per the NYPD Crime Stoppers page. Tips can also be submitted online through the Crime Stoppers website or by sending a message to the department’s @NYPDTips account on X. The program accepts anonymous tips and says tipsters may receive a cash reward if their information results in an arrest and indictment.
What “Forcible Touching” Means
Under New York Penal Law §130.52, forcible touching means intentionally, and without any legitimate purpose, touching another person’s intimate parts in order to degrade that person or to satisfy the offender’s sexual desire. The statute specifically covers contact that happens while someone is a passenger on public transit, according to the state law text. The crime is generally a class A misdemeanor that can carry up to one year in jail, although sex offender registration applies only in limited situations. The statute and related court guidance appear on the New York State Legislature’s website and in legal summaries.
Investigators have urged anyone who was in the 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal station around the reported time to check any photos or video they may have captured and to contact Crime Stoppers with potential leads. As of July 1, no arrests had been announced in the case, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers on X. Anyone with tips can call the hotline or reach out through the department’s public tip channels.
