Subway escalator grope sparks manhunt in Jackson Heights
Queens, NY — A morning commute inside a busy Queens transit hub turned into a reported sex crime Tuesday when a woman was grabbed from behind on an escalator before the suspect slipped away into the station.
The incident occurred around 6:40 a.m. inside the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue subway station, within the confines of the NYPD’s 115th Precinct and Transit District 20. According to NYPD Crimestoppers, a 31-year-old woman was standing on an escalator when an unidentified individual positioned behind her touched and grabbed her buttocks.
The individual fled the location immediately after the contact, leaving the station and heading to an unknown destination. No description of the suspect has been released.
The victim’s condition was not disclosed. The investigation remains ongoing as officials seek to identify the individual involved.
The NYPD is asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted online or through the department’s official social media channels.
Key Points
- Woman, 31, reported forcible touching on subway escalator in Queens
- Incident occurred Tuesday morning at Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue station
- Suspect fled and remains unidentified