Police Search For Suspect Accused Of Inappropriately Touching Girls In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Police are searching for a man accused of inappropriately touching little girls in Queens.
The first incident was reported around 2:30 p.m. last Wednesday along 104th Street in Corona.
Police said a 10-year-old girl was standing on the sidewalk when the suspect walked up and touched her in the groin area, over her clothing.
Then around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, a 13-year-old girl was also touched inappropriately near 45th Avenue and Junction Boulevard, police said.
"It makes me feel scared," Corona resident Jenny Minchala told CBS2's Clark Fouraker. "I just go where a lot of people is. I don't go where, the streets where nobody is. Mostly, I go through Roosevelt and come down the street. There's a lot of people here, everybody can see what's going on."
"We're in a society right now that you've got to be extra aware with these kids. You've got to make sure everything is right, correct and they're protected, and make sure they're safe and sound," said local worker Lu Torrero.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his 30s, last seen wearing a blue shirt with white lettering on the front, camouflage shorts and black sneakers.
In the most recent incident, he first took off heading west on 45th Avenue, but then doubled-back and fled heading east.
"I wouldn't think in this traffic there'd be anything like that," Corona resident and local mom Amena Choudhury said. "I'm surprised. I mean, I stand here every morning waiting for the bus to take him to day care, and I haven't noticed anything like that."
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
