Palo Alto police are seeking a man who they say groped a woman standing next to her car in the Crescent Park neighborhood Monday afternoon, Aug. 20.
The incident took place at about noon on the 600 block of Fulton Street, according to the police. The victim, a woman in her 20s, had stopped in front of her parked car and was retrieving keys from her purse when a man approached her from behind. He allegedly grabbed her buttocks under her dress and then ran east on Hamilton Avenue. The victim immediately called the police, who responded but were unable to find the attacker.
The suspect was described as an East Indian man between 25 and 35 years of age. He had black hair and was wearing an orange "varsity-style" jacket, blue jeans and shoes similar to Vans, police said. They had also released a sketch of the suspect Tuesday morning.
Police ask anyone with information about this incident to call 650-329-2413. People can also email anonymous tips to paloalto@tipnow.org or send them by text or voice mail to 650-383-8984.
Comments
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 21, 2012 at 10:48 am
on Aug 21, 2012 at 10:48 am
The CIS shows on TV are often using pictures to find the identities of suspects. Makes on wonder if these video match systems have much success when an artist's sketch is used as input.
Of course, this question begs the question as to the general existence of picture data bases available to the police in California, or the US, in general.
Anyone know anything about these advanced tools that are available to local law enforcement agencies?
Adobe-Meadow
on Aug 21, 2012 at 11:00 am
on Aug 21, 2012 at 11:00 am
I was confused by the term "East Indian", so I looked it up in Wikipedia and the term seems to refer to a Catholic ethnic group mostly living around Mumbai. Is that the same meaning that the police intended? Are these people have a dramatically different appearance from other Indian nationals? Web Link
East Palo Alto
on Aug 21, 2012 at 11:43 am
on Aug 21, 2012 at 11:43 am
This totally reminds me of the butt grabber in 1999-2000 in downtown Palo Alto, but he was Latino.
Midtown
on Aug 21, 2012 at 12:30 pm
on Aug 21, 2012 at 12:30 pm
"East Indian?" The police sketch looks a little like the Chekov character on the original STAR TREK television show.
Barron Park
on Aug 21, 2012 at 5:04 pm
on Aug 21, 2012 at 5:04 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Midtown
on Aug 21, 2012 at 6:42 pm
on Aug 21, 2012 at 6:42 pm
The description probably refers to him being an Asian Indian
- as opposed to a West Indian-someone from the Caribbean Islands.
East Palo Alto
on Aug 21, 2012 at 9:05 pm
on Aug 21, 2012 at 9:05 pm
Susie - your comment was appalling on several levels. This guy committed sexual battery. People who publicly grope others show a pattern of growing bolder, so it's far from an innocent crime.