Police: Man Gropes 7-Year-Old Girl Inside Brooklyn Store
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are looking for a man who they said groped a 7-year-old girl inside a store in Brooklyn.
It happened around 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Southside Food Plaza on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, CBs2's Ali Bauman reported.
The man walked up to the girl, grabbed her buttocks and then fled the store, police said.
"He was around the store and I think he stopped over here and did whatever he did," store employee Pedro Aldana said.
Aldana added that something seemed off about the man.
"He was running like he was in a rush," he said.
The store manager said the girl's mother came back after her daughter told her what happened and together looked through surveillance videos.
Police have released surveillance video of the suspect. They describe him as a 45-year-old white man with a tattoo of dots on his hand and possibly under his right eye.
Shoppers at the predominantly Jewish supermarket said they were shocked at what happened.
"It's disgusting. I have no words to say, but it's very rare here," Jabril Akinwunmi said.
Malky Halprin said, "I feel pretty safe in here and I feel safe, send my children, so I'm quite surprised."
The suspect was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a black brimmed baseball hat.
The store manager said he is installing more cameras in hopes of catching the suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.