Chicago police is frantically looking for an unidentified masked man on bicycle who is repeatedly groping women at the city's Wicker Park area. Police initially thought that it was a stray incident after receiving the first complaint from a woman who was talking a walk at the park when the incident occurred. However, they have now confirmed that the unidentified man is on a groping spree following more complaints.
Moreover, the incidents have been taking place in broad daylight. The man, after groping and grabbing the women, is reportedly leaving the scene no challenged. One of the victims have luckily managed to get an image of the suspect from the surveillance camera of a nearby apartment building but not much could be figured out from that as he is all masked.
Unknown Attacker
Police have received complaints from at least three women who were attacked on the sidewalk in broad daylight in the Wicker Park neighborhood near the CTA Blue Line. One woman, 29, was walking west on Pierce Avenue toward Hoyne Avenue about 10:07 am on Monday when she felt someone squeeze her buttocks hard from behind, one of the victims told Block Club.
The squeeze was so severe that it left her bruised ad she still feels pain while sitting. The squeeze lasted several seconds and the pain was intense, she said. However, even during this intense struggle to free herself, she managed to see from the corner of her eye the man who groped her. The man, she said, was dressed head-to-toe in black with black sunglasses and a black face mask and raced away on a bicycle.
The woman immediately called 911 and filed a police report. She also shared her story in a private neighborhood Facebook group.
Not a Stray Incident
Police initially thought that it was a stray incident but within a couple of days received another complain from a 39-year-old woman. In fact, she mentioned in her compliant that she was groped by the man moments before the 29-year-old. The woman was walking north on Damen Avenue around 10 am on Monday morning along with her three-year-old daughter in a stroller. As she approached Le Moyne Avenue she suddenly felt someone slap her "hard" on her buttocks.
She too described similar experience and was left screaming in pain. However, she didn't stop there. After lodging a police report, she went to a nearby apartment building the next day to scout out cameras. She described the suspect to one property manager who she says gave her an image of a man in all black on a bicycle.
After posting the photograph on social media, she said at least five other women confirmed that they had similar attacks within minutes of each other in broad daylight. Police have started an investigation with the help of the photograph but are yet to get any clue. A third report of a similar report was filed on Thursday. Police is now urging more victims to file complains.
The victims, however, believe that it won't be an easy task to track the suspect given that he was almost covered with only his eyes partially visible. Police say that the guidelines issued to wear masks owing to the coronavirus pandemic has made things easier for criminals and offenders as there are least chances of people suspecting them when they plan such sexual assaults.
