Bicyclist Gropes Teen Girl, 15, In North Corona, NYPD Seeks Tips

A 15-year-old girl was standing outside a home on 101st Street in North Corona early Sunday, August 9, when an unidentified person crept up behind her, groped her, and pedaled away on a bicycle. No injuries were reported in the encounter, which happened at roughly 1:45 a.m. in front of 36-36 101st Street, and the suspect remains unidentified more than two weeks later.

According to NYPD Crime Stoppers, the individual approached the teen from behind and forcibly touched her buttocks before fleeing the scene on the bicycle to parts unknown. The incident falls within the boundaries of the 115th Precinct, which patrols Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and North Corona, according to NYC.gov. That command, established in 1984 out of pieces of the neighboring 110th and 114th Precincts to handle a surge in calls for service in northern Queens, also covers public safety duties at LaGuardia Airport, per the same government listing.

🚨WANTED FOR A FORCIBLE TOUCHING: On Sunday, August 9, 2026, at approximately 1:45 AM, in front of 36-36 101 Street, confines of the 115 Precinct, a 15-year-old female victim was standing, when an unidentified individual approached her from behind and forcibly touched her… pic.twitter.com/fJmPXfjCXk

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) August 27, 2026

What the Law Says About the Alleged Conduct

Under New York Penal Law § 130.52, the conduct described in the police alert would constitute forcible touching, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail or probation upon conviction, according to FindLaw. The statute specifically covers non-consensual acts like squeezing, grabbing or pinching a person's intimate body parts, whether the contact happens in public spaces or on public transit, the legal reference notes. A misdemeanor forcible touching conviction does not automatically trigger New York's sex offender registration requirements unless specific age thresholds or aggravating circumstances apply, according to the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates, since mandatory registration generally kicks in for felony-level offenses or cases involving victims under statutory age limits.

NYPD Crime Stoppers is asking anyone with information to come forward, either by direct message to @NYPDTips or by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The program, run by the nonprofit New York City Police Foundation and funded through private donations rather than police department budgets, can offer up to $3,500 for an anonymous tip that leads to an arrest and indictment, according to the New York City Police Foundation. Since the partnership began in 1983, it has helped solve more than 5,600 violent crimes, including nearly 1,600 homicides and attempted homicides, and paid out over $3.4 million in rewards, the foundation says. Tipsters can submit information anonymously by phone, web or mobile app without ever being required to testify in court.

A Pattern of Bicycle-Borne Groping Alerts in Queens

This is not the first Crime Stoppers alert this year describing a bicyclist targeting a young girl in the 115th Precinct's territory. Hoodline previously tracked a similar alert involving a bicycle-riding suspect who groped a 13-year-old girl in the same precinct in April, and reported on a separate search for a forcible touching suspect who struck inside a Jackson Heights subway station that same month. A third alert in July described a groping incident on a Queens subway platform. The dossier does not indicate whether investigators suspect any connection between the August 9 case and those earlier incidents.

North Corona, the section of the neighborhood north of Roosevelt Avenue where 101st Street sits, is part of Queens Community District 3 and is 73.6% Hispanic, according to U.S. Census data cited by Wikipedia. The neighborhood borders Jackson Heights to the west and East Elmhurst to the north, all within the 115th Precinct's patrol boundaries. Citywide, NYPD CompStat data for the week ending August 23 recorded 3,513 reported cases in the “Other Sex Crimes” category — which includes misdemeanor offenses like forcible touching — a figure that was essentially unchanged from the 3,512 reported during the same week in 2025, according to NYC.gov crime statistics.

At the county level, the Queens District Attorney's Special Victims Bureau reported a 40 percent increase in felony cases involving sexual assault, child physical abuse and elder violence in 2024 compared to the prior year, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office. That bureau handles specialized sex offense prosecutions and oversees sex offender registration hearings, though it is not yet clear whether the August 9 case will be referred there given its current classification as a misdemeanor investigation. It remains unknown whether surveillance footage from nearby homes or businesses along 101st Street has produced a clearer description of the suspect, and whether the teenage victim required any medical attention following the encounter.