Police are investigating a sexual battery case reported this week that occurred in mid-June on a Palo Alto neighborhood street, where a male suspect groped a female pedestrian.
On Monday, July 10, 2023, at about 10:21 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a woman in her fifties who reported that she had been sexually battered by a stranger in the 1900 block of Waverley Street in mid-June. She chose to notify police about what happened after reading online about a similar assault in Mountain View that had occurred on July 5 (read the Mountain View Police Department’s news release about that crime here; note that they made an arrest in their case yesterday and released information on the suspect here).
The investigation revealed that the woman had been walking on the sidewalk in the 1900 block of Waverley Street on June 15 between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. A male suspect approached her from behind and shoved her, then wrapped his arms around her and groped her chest. She was able to escape from the suspect’s grasp and pushed him away from her. He then stomped on one of her feet, got onto a bicycle, and rode away westbound on Seale Avenue. The victim told police her foot was injured and bruised as a result of the assault.
The victim described the suspect as a Hispanic male in his thirties, about 5’6” to 5’8” tall with a “strong” build. The victim said he had dark hair with a “military-style” haircut, and was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, baggy black sweatpants, and white shoes. She described his bicycle as being dark in color with “fat” tires. No suspect sketch will be forthcoming, as the victim did not have an opportunity to get an extended look at his face.
Detectives have been in contact with their counterparts in the Mountain View Police Department and are investigating any connection between this case and the July 5 case.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
