Metro

Serial groper on the loose in NYC, violating at least 4 women in late-night attacks near Prospect Park: cops

By
Chris Harris and
Matthew Sedacca
Published Aug. 24, 2024, 1:19 p.m. ET

A serial groper is on the loose in Park Slope, violating at least four women in late-night attacks near Pro✨spect Park, cops and terrified victims told The Post.

All of the attacks occurred between July 27 and Aug. 14 within an eight-block radius of Prospect Park West, where the perv, nicknamed “The Park Slope Prowler” by some, ran up to each of the women, grabbed their buttocks, and sprinted off into the darkness.

“I’m worried he will rape someone — or worse,” said the victim of the Aug. 14 attack, who is in her 30s and has lived in the neighborhood since 2020. “To see how easily he was able to pull it off on me, it’s alarming.”

A serial groper is on the loose in Park Slope, violating at least four women in late-night attacks near Prospect Park, cops and terrified victims told The Post.
A serial groper is on the loose in Park Slope, violating at least four women in late-night attacks near Prospect Park, cops and terrified victims told The Post.

“Women in the area need to be aware of this creep,” continued the woman, who was walking her dog just before 1 a.m. when the groper assaulted her on Prospect Park West at First Street.

“The force . . . was so much that I lost my balance and dropped my dog’s leash. It felt violent in a way that makes me worry his crimes could certainly escalate.”

The sicko’s other attacks unfolded on:

  • July 27 at around 10:15 p.m. along Berkeley Place between 6th and 7th Avenues. The assailant yanked the victim’s skirt up and grabbed her butt, according to cops. The victim wrote on social media her attacker was behind her, “and I let him pass because I was on the phone. About 2 minutes later, I felt him come up behind me and pull up my dress.”
  • Aug. 9 at 11:45 p.m. on Eighth Street at Eighth Avenue. The groper grabbed the woman with both hands, police said. Good Samaritan Meagan Miller-McKeever rushed to help the screaming victim. “I asked if she was okay, and she said, ‘A guy pushed me down, and he just ran away,'” she recalled. “The man had approached her from behind, had grabbed her so hard she fell to the ground, and that’s when she screamed, and when she screamed, he ran.” Miller-McKeever said the incident happened on “one of the safest blocks in Park Slope.”
  • Aug. 13 at 10:15 p.m. on Fifth Street between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West. The groper “forcibly” grabbed the victim, cops said.
While she’s supported efforts to defund the NYPD, Councilmember Shahana Hanif has asked for more patrols. William Farrington
NYPD on patrol in Prospect Park. and on the lookout for the serial groper.
NYPD is on patrol in Prospect Park and on the lookout for the serial groper. J.C. Rice

“I used to feel safe in this neighborhood and enjoyed evening walks after work to get some fresh air,” said the 32-year-old victim of the Aug. 13 groping, who only moved to Park Slope three months ago.

“Now, I don’t walk alone past 7:30 p.m., when it starts to get dark. It ruined my feeling of security. It’s very sad,” she added.

All four incidents w✃ere reported to the NYPD. The victims told cops the groper is between 5-foot-8🅺 and 5-10, wears all black, and has straight black hair with a medium to light complexion.

A person walking through Prospect Park with their two dogs.
At least one of the victims (not pictured) was walking her dog late at night when the assault happened. J.C. Rice

Police would not comment on whether any potential suspects have been identified and questioned. The NYPD would not confirm residents’ suspicions that the Park Slope Prowler is also responsible for seven incidents reported around Christmas around Prospect Park.

In those cases, a similarly-described perpetr🐭ator either followed the women home while masturbating or was caught peeping into apartment windows.

“I think it’s clear it is the same person,” offered one of the victims. “If he’s the same Peeping Tom from months ago, there’s already an escalation there.”

A woman jobs through Prospect Park, passed a father and son walking.
In each case, the groper approached the woman from behind and grabbed their buttocks. J.C. Rice

Left-wing City Council Member Shahana Hanif — a vocal critic of the NYPD who was among the lawmakers who pushed the controversial “How Many Stops Act” that buries cops in paperwork — said she asked the precinct “to strengthen patrols in the area, especially during the evening hours when these incidents have been most frequent.”

“He will keep doing it,” one victim warned. “I’ve been on higher alert, and not going out at night. You might think you’re being careful, but this person is actively strategizing. It seemed like he could not help himself.”

Miller-McKeever said she now texts her roommate when she is coming home late so sh🍃e knows when to expect her, and 🔴has warned friends to be more alert and walk without wearing their headphones in the area. 

“As a woman, I’m always just a little more vigilant,” she said, “and unfortunately, now have to be more so.”