A 17-year-old girl was walking in front of 144 East 128th Street in Harlem on Saturday evening when police say an unidentified man crept up behind her and smacked her buttocks before speeding away on a two-wheeled device. The incident, reported at approximately 5:33 p.m. on September 12, unfolded within the confines of the 25th Precinct.
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers
, the teen was simply walking near the address when the man approached from behind and made contact with her before fleeing to parts unknown. The department has classified the case as forcible touching and is asking anyone with information to come forward.
Police have not released a physical description of the suspect, a photo, or any indication of what the two-wheeled device might have been, whether bicycle, scooter or moped. The department's public appeal, posted to social media, is the only account of what happened, and no arrest has been announced in connection with the case.
How to Report a Tip
NYPD Crime Stoppers is directing the public to call 1-800-577-TIPS, submit information online through its Crime Stoppers website, or reach out on X through the account @nypdtips. Spanish-speaking tipsters can call a separate line, 1-888-57-PISTA. The department is also offering up to $3,500 for an anonymous tip that leads to an arrest and indictment in the case.
Under New York law, the classification police used, forcible touching, is a defined offense. According to the New York State Senate's penal code, a person is guilty of forcible touching when they intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly touch another person, among other statutory conditions. The 25th Precinct, which covers this stretch of Harlem, is the local NYPD command for the area where the incident was reported.
A Pattern Seen Elsewhere in New York
Forcible touching cases have surfaced elsewhere in the state in recent memory. In Dutchess County, New York State Police arrested a Pawling man, Ismeal Sipteyul, after troopers said he forcibly touched three females on three separate occasions while working as a handyman at an apartment complex in Dover, according to NEWS10. Sipteyul was charged with three misdemeanor counts of forcible touching and remanded to the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center in lieu of $2,500 cash bail, a $10,000 bond, or a $30,000 partially secured bond.
In that case, troopers asked anyone who may have experienced similar conduct by Sipteyul to contact investigators directly, a request that mirrors the kind of public appeal now underway in Harlem. No such additional victims or witnesses have been identified in the East 128th Street case, and it remains unclear whether surveillance footage or other evidence exists.
For now, the Harlem case remains open, with investigators relying on the public to help identify the man who fled the scene. Anyone with information is urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
