PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police have arrested a man accused of several indecent assaults against women this week in Center City and South Philly.
Police took DeQuan Jacobs, 35, of Philadelphia into custody on Tuesday. He is charged with eight counts of indecent assault and harassment.
In every incident reported to police, the accusers said a man rode up to them on a bike and grabbed their buttocks before pedaling off. One of the victims had a child with her at the time.
Three incidents on Sunday, and four on Monday, were reported to police.
The first took place on Sunday at around 5 a.m. on South Broad Street near the Broad Street Line subway Tasker-Morris station, when a man rode up behind a woman and groped her from the right side. About 5 ½ hours later, a similar incident happened near the same intersection, on the other side of Broad Street.
The suspect struck again around 6:20 p.m. nearby on East Passyunk Avenue near Mifflin Street, groping a woman from behind under her dress, according to a police report.
The indecent assaults started up again around 9 a.m. Monday, according to police. A woman was walking south on 22nd Street near Reed Street in Point Breeze when the offender, riding up behind her, groped her from the left side and rode off.
Another similar incident was reported at 10:30 a.m. on 21st Street near Pine Street in Center City, where the victim was walking with a child in front of a daycare center. Then two more groping incidents occurred on Walnut Street around 3:30 p.m., at 29th Street and at 23rd Street.
Philadelphia SVU Captain Margo Alleyne-Parker said one of the victims managed to snap a photograph of the man on the bike, which was posted to a popular Instagram feed.
"And at the time, our detectives were in the area looking for video in reference to these assaults, and they just happened to see him ride by on the bicycle and they were able to stop him and they brought him in for investigation, which ultimately led to his arrest," Alleyne-Parker said.
Submit a tip
Police released a mugshot of Jacobs (above), saying they are looking into the possibility that additional assaults have not yet been reported. Anyone with information about additional assaults is encouraged to contact police.
Submit a confidential tip via phone or text to to 215-686-TIPS (8477), or online with this form.
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