Police are searching for an unidentified person accused of grabbing a 27-year-old woman from behind inside the Fifth Avenue–59th Street subway station Tuesday afternoon.
NEW YORK, NY — The NYPD is asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect accused of grabbing a woman’s buttocks and groin as she walked down a stairwell inside a Midtown Manhattan subway station.
The incident happened at approximately 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, inside the Fifth Avenue–59th Street station, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers.
Police said the 27-year-old woman was walking down the stairwell when an unidentified individual approached her from behind and grabbed her buttocks and groin over her clothing.
The suspect then fled the station on foot toward Central Park South.
Attack happened near Central Park
The Fifth Avenue–59th Street station sits at one of Manhattan’s busiest tourist corridors, near the southeast corner of Central Park and close to hotels, shops and attractions surrounding Fifth Avenue.
The station serves the N, R and W subway lines and routinely carries commuters, tourists and workers through Midtown Manhattan throughout the day.
Police have released images of the person they are trying to identify but did not provide a detailed physical description in the initial Crime Stoppers alert.
No arrest had been announced as of Friday.
Similar cases remain a recurring NYPD investigation
The case is the latest forcible touching investigation involving women inside the New York City subway system.
Earlier this month, Shore News Network reported that NYPD detectives were searching for a suspect accused of groping a woman from behind on a stairwell at the Rector Street subway station.
In August, police also sought a suspect after a 19-year-old woman was allegedly grabbed aboard a northbound No. 5 train at Union Square.
Another investigation earlier this year involved a woman who told police she was repeatedly touched aboard a Manhattan-bound subway train.
Those cases remain separate investigations, and police have not indicated that the Sept. 15 Midtown incident is connected to any previous case.
Crime Stoppers asks public for help
The latest case is being investigated within the Midtown North Precinct and Transit District 1.
Anyone who recognizes the person shown in the surveillance images or has information about the incident is asked to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Spanish-speaking callers can use 1-888-57-PISTA.
Police said tips may also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website or through @NYPDTips on X.
The investigation remains active as detectives work to identify the suspect in the latest New York City transit crime investigation.