NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Police Department has identified Jovan Villafane, 42, as a suspect in multiple groping incidents across Manhattan last fall.
Villaphone was identified using video surveillance footage near where each incident occurred. Detectives have determined he was connected to all three reported incidents.
On Saturday, October 8, at approximately 12:50 pm, a 45-year-old female was walking at the intersection of West End Avenue and West 72 Street, when an unidentified male individual riding a Citibike on the sidewalk reached his hand out and did touch the victim’s buttocks. The male individual then fled on the bicycle to parts unknown.
On November 5, at approximately 12:26 am, a 30-year-old female was walking northbound on 7th Avenue and West 11th Street, when an unidentified male individual slapped the victim’s buttocks.
Then, on Thursday, December 8, at approximately 3:15 pm, a 21-year-old female was walking in front of 351 West 71 Street, when an unidentified male individual did grab and squeezed the victim’s left buttock and fled on foot westbound towards West 71 Street and Riverside Boulevard.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).