A man grabbed a 22-year-old woman from behind aboard a crowded northbound 6 train near Union Square Thursday morning and slipped away before police could catch him, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. The agency says the attack happened at around 8:25 a.m. in the vicinity of Union Square East and East 14 Street, within the 13 Precinct and Transit District 4, and the suspect fled in an unknown direction.
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers
, the unidentified individual approached the victim from behind and grabbed her buttocks before disappearing into the morning rush. The post, titled “WANTED FOR FORCIBLE TOUCHING,” offers no description of the suspect and gives no indication he has been identified, arrested, or charged.
NYPD is asking anyone with information to come forward. Tips can go to the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), the sex crimes hotline at 1-212-267-7273 or 646-610-7272, or through a Spanish-language line at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tipsters can also reach out via the Crime Stoppers website or by messaging @NYPDTips on X. The agency, based in New York, is offering a reward of up to $3,500, though payout is contingent on a tip leading to an arrest and indictment.
A Pattern of Reports Near the Same Transit Hub
Thursday's alleged attack is not the first forcible-touching report to surface near Union Square's subway corridors, though the available accounts do not establish any confirmed broader trend. A 15-year-old girl was allegedly grabbed on the buttocks while riding a northbound N train near the Union Square station on April 30, 2025, according to Chelsea News. Days later, the outlet reported a 43-year-old woman was approached from behind and groped near the Wall Street and William Street station.
Separately, CBS New York reported that police sought a man suspected of touching a 16-year-old girl aboard a southbound 6 train approaching the 51st Street station on Dec. 16 around 8 a.m. Shore News Network also described an alleged incident involving a 16-year-old girl on the southbound 6 train platform at Union Square on an October 22 morning at roughly 8:15 a.m.
No Suspect Description Released
NYPD Crime Stoppers has not released a physical description of the man sought in Thursday's case, and the investigation's current status beyond the public appeal for tips has not been disclosed. Commuters passing through the Union Square East corridor during the morning rush are being asked to think back on anything unusual they may have witnessed near the 6 train platform around 8:25 a.m.
For now, the case remains open, with investigators relying on public tips rather than a known suspect description to move the inquiry forward.
