Police provided this surveillance photo of the alleged Brooklyn groper as more incidents came to light. Photo: NYPD
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Police said Thursday that a man suspected of forcibly groping a woman in Brooklyn Heights is now linked to three additional incidents.
The first reported incident took place on March 30 at 7:48 a.m., when the suspect molested a 21-year-old woman near Middagh and Willow streets in the North Heights.
Police have now provided details about a previously unpublicized attack, which took place on Wednesday, March 19, along with two more recent incidents on Tuesday, April 1 and Wednesday, April 2. Officials have released two surveillance photos of the suspect, who they believe is responsible for all four incidents, classified as “forcible touching,” a Class A misdemeanor.
The first three incidents took place in the 84th Precinct in Brooklyn Heights and Vinegar Hill. The fourth took place in Downtown Brooklyn’s 88th Precinct. None of the women reported physical injuries, but locals said they found the incidents disturbing and feared an escalation of violence, as occurred last year with the serial groper known as the “Park Slope Prowler.”
Reported cases to date
Incident number one: A 30-year-old woman was walking in the vicinity of Gold and Front streets in Vinegar Hill on Wednesday, March 19 at roughly 6:45 a.m., when an unidentified man approached her from behind, grabbed her waist and performed a lewd act, according to police. The man then fled on foot.
Incident number two: As originally reported, a man allegedly forcibly touched a 21-year-old woman near Middagh and Willow streets in Brooklyn Heights on Sunday, March 30 at 7:48 a.m. The unidentified suspect approached from behind, wrapped his legs around the woman, grabbed her arms and simulated a sexual act before fleeing toward the Brooklyn Bridge on Willow Street.
Incident number three: On Tuesday, April 1, at roughly 10:29 p.m., a 34-year-old woman was walking in the vicinity of Henry and Joralemon streets in Brooklyn Heights when an unidentified man approached her from behind, grabbed her waist and performed a lewd act, then fled on foot.
Incident number four: On Wednesday, April 2, at approximately 3:40 p.m., a 60-year-old woman was walking in the vicinity of Fulton Street and Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn when an unidentified man approached her from behind and performed a lewd act, then fled on foot.
84th Precinct boosts manpower
Women expressed alarm about the molestations on social media and to this newspaper.
“Four is way too many,” said Taylor (she did not want her last name used), who works in Brooklyn Heights. Taylor told the Brooklyn Eagle she would “definitely exercise additional caution” and increase her awareness. “Music down, on high alert.”
She added, “It’s just gross.”
Councilmember Lincoln Restler told the Eagle, “We have been in communication with families in the North Heights and the NYPD about these deeply disturbing incidents impacting women in our community. The 84th Precinct has assured us of additional NYPD presence in the area. With a clear photo of the assailant, I hope he is swiftly arrested.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), on X @NYPDTips or by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website.
