A man grabbed a 22-year-old woman from behind on a Brooklyn sidewalk in broad daylight, groped her over her clothing, and took off running — and now police are hoping someone recognizes him before he strikes again. The attack happened in front of 5518 Church Avenue in East Flatbush, and investigators are still trying to track the suspect down.
Attack Happened in Broad Daylight on Church Avenue
According to News 12 Brooklyn, the man approached the woman and groped her from behind over her clothing before fleeing the scene. Investigators say the assault unfolded shortly after 11 a.m. on September 25 in front of 5518 Church Avenue in East Flatbush. The man fled the scene.
No description of the suspect — his age, build, clothing, or any identifying features — has been released in connection with the search. The NYPD has asked anyone with information to call its Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
Not the Only Recent Groping Case in the Area
This is not the first unsettling groping case to surface in the broader Flatbush area recently. Hoodline previously reported on a separate incident just before 9 p.m. in which a man approached a 73-year-old woman near Avenue J and Brooklyn Avenue, struck up a conversation, then groped her breasts over her clothing before fleeing on foot, according to police. The evidence does not establish any connection between that case and the East Flatbush attack on the 22-year-old woman.
What New York Law Says About Forcible Touching
Under New York Penal Law § 130.52, a person is guilty of forcible touching when they intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly touch another person's sexual or other intimate parts to degrade or abuse them or to satisfy their own sexual desire, according to the New York State Senate. The NYPD maintains borough, precinct, and citywide crime statistics that it says are updated weekly, though no specific figures on forcible touching complaints for East Flatbush or the 67th Precinct were made available in connection with this case.
No arrest has been announced, and the status of the investigation remains unclear. Anyone with information about the September 25 attack is urged to contact police.
