Police in Philadelphia have arrested a man alleged to have grabbed the rear ends of at least seven women he rode by while riding a bicycle over a two day period in South Philly.
Dequan Jacobs, 35, of Philadelphia, was arrested on Tuesday at about 5 p.m. on the 2500 block of Reed Street in South Philadelphia. He is charged with indecent assault and harassment.
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Jacobs is accused of groping several women in Philadelphia between Sunday, August 6, and Monday, August7.
During each incident, Jacobs groped a victim while riding his bike past them, police said.
The incidents began on Sunday when a man on a bike rode up behind a woman walking along the 1700 block of S. Broad Street at about 5 a.m. and grabbed her on her buttocks before he rode away, according to investigators.
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About five hours later, at 10:25 a.m., a woman on that same block reported a similar attack, as a man on a green bike allegedly rode up behind her as she walked and grabbed her rear end.
Then, that night at about 6:20 p.m., a woman walking along the 1900 block of East Passyunk Avenue told police that she observed a man on a bike riding on the sidewalk before he rode past her, reached under her dress and grabbed her buttocks before he rode off.
On Monday at about 8:55 a.m., a woman was walking on the 1400 block of S. 22nd Street when she encountered the same man who grabbed her buttocks as he rode past her on a bike, police said.
That same morning at about 10:30 a.m., a woman told police that she was walking along the 2100 block of Pine Street when she was indecently assaulted by a man who came up behind her on a bike before grabbing her buttocks and riding away. In this case, the woman told police that the man looked at her and put on sunglasses before he rode off.
That afternoon, at about 3:30 p.m., the man allegedly groped the buttocks of a woman who was walking along the 2900 block of Walnut Street, while he rode a bike past her.
About five minutes later, the same man grabbed the buttocks of a woman as he rode past her on his bike along the 2300 block of Walnut Street, police said.
Police identified Jacobs as the suspect in all seven incidents and said more victims could be out there. He had previously been arrested and charged with retail theft, harassment and resisting arrest.
Police also said Jacobs may have been responsible for additional incidents in which a man on a scooter assaulted other victims in Philadelphia. They are waiting to speak with those victims as the investigation continues.
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