NYPD looking for Queens sex assault suspect who struck 3 times in 5 days

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Friday, June 17, 2016
Search for suspect in string of Queens sex assaults
Mallory Hoff has the story.

FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- Police are looking for suspect wanted in connection with at least three sexual assaults in Queens that happened in the past week.

The first incident happened around 6:30 p.m. last Friday on Oak Avenue alongside Kissena Park. Authorities say a 50-year-old woman was riding her bicycle when a man grabbed her and pulled her towards the park.

He reportedly attempted to talk to the victim as he touched himself over his clothing. The victim broke free and fled.

The same man is believed to have struck again two days later, around 10:15 a.m. at the intersection of Colden Street and Mulberry Avenue. Police say a 24-year-old woman was approached by a man who engaged her in conversation before hugging her, kissing her on the cheek and grabbing her buttocks.

The man allegedly touched himself over his clothing, and the victim fled on foot.

The most recent incident happened around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the vicinity of 56th Avenue and 148th Street. Police say a 41-year-old woman was approached by a man who grabbed both her arms and tried to pull her into a backyard. The victim screamed, and the suspect fled in a red vehicle.

The man, believed to be around 40 years old and Hispanic, is about 6 feet tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He has a slim and muscular build, black hair with some gray, and a tattoo of a red and green star on the back of his arm above the elbow.

Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).