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Nine Women Assaulted By Serial Groper In Williamsburg
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jun 4, 2015
Modified Sep 28, 2015
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jun 4, 2015
Modified Sep 28, 2015
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Nine women have reported that a man grabbed or otherwise groped them in the vicinity of Graham Avenue and Jackson Street in Williamsburg this week, with victims claiming they've all been attacked by the same culprit.
A number of women reported that the man, described as in his twenties, around 5'8" and clad all in black, grabbed their rear ends, smirking at some victims as he fled. Two other victims reported that the man exposed himself to them, with one describing him as "very wild eyed and agitated, like he was on drugs."
One victim, 36-year-old Andrea Larsen, told DNAinfo she had been groped twice by the man, once last Thursday and again on Monday. She says she was attacked on Humboldt Street near Jackson Street, and then again on Jackson Street, while walking her dog around 8 a.m. "The first time, I could not understand it," she told the website."The second time, I was pure anger, I was seeing red. It’s so intrusive."
Another victim told Brooklyn Paper that the man grabbed her rear end on May 23rd, at around 7:20 a.m. while she was walking on Metropolitan Avenue near Manhattan Avenue. After he attacked her, he allegedly told her, "I had to," before walking away.
One woman's husband was able to take the above photograph of the suspect after he "pulled out his 'business'" and shook it at her while she walked down the street with her 1 year-old child. At least one other victim identified her attacker via the photo.
As of yesterday only a few women had reported the assaults to the police, but neighborhood resident Lesley Melincoff, who posted a warning about the man on a Williamsburg parenting site, tells us more women have contacted the local precinct after learning they were not victims of isolated incidents. "Now that some of the women are finding out it's happened to more people, they've become more comfortable [coming forward]," she said.
NYPD officers told us last year that it's important for victims of public lewdness or sexual assault to report the incidents, even if they were unable to get a photograph of the suspect or a lot of time had elapsed. Cops recommend that victims recall as many details as possible (time of day, street, what train he/she was on if applicable) so it's easier for investigators to determine the timeline in which the suspect is exposing himself or groping victims.
The women have been working with City Councilman Antonio Reynoso's office in hopes of nabbing the attacker. Jennifer Gutierrez, who works with the Councilman, says the office has been urging victims to contact 911, and that they may organize a neighborhood watch. "We don't want anyone to think its not a big deal," she told DNAinfo. "It's a big deal. Every time."
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Rebecca Fishbein
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