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Police: Mother's Cell Phone Video Helped Catch Alleged Groper

PARAMUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Police in New Jersey say a mother's cell phone video helped lead to the arrest of a man who groped her daughter.

The Paramus Police Department says that officers were called to a Marshall's department store on Saturday after a man allegedly grabbed a 19-year-old woman's buttocks in the store's shoe aisle.

According to authorities, the victim's mother followed the suspect out of the store and filmed him using her cell phone. Detectives say they identified the suspect using the video and arrested Edward Evans of Bergenfield on a charge of criminal sexual contact Wednesday.

groping suspect
Edward Evans (Credit: Paramus Police Department)

"I said to her both at the scene, at headquarters, and afterwards she was amazing," Detective Jeff Lattanzi told CBS2's Meg Baker. "That video helped us do our job easier and we told her be careful with what's she's doing, but she was protecting her child."

Evans was taken to Bergen County Jail while he awaits his first court hearing on the groping charge.

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