Security video captured a man bizarrely spitting on an 11-year-old walking to school and then groping the girl while pretending to help her clean the spit from her shirt, police said.
‘This is the M.O. of a sexual predator. This is a parent’s worst nightmare.’
The incident unfolded near 71st Street and 54st Avenue in Maspeth in the Bronx borough of New York City on Friday at about 8 a.m., according to the NYPD.
Video shows the man walk toward the girl and then casually spit out his drink onto her. He pretends it was an accident and then reaches out to clean the mess before groping the girl’s backside, according to police.
Police said that the same man used the same ploy to attempt to sexually assault a 12-year-old moments later.
“Predatorial, dangerous, and common denominator: young girls going to school,” said NYPD Chief John Chell to WNBC-TV. “This is the M.O. of a sexual predator. This is a parent’s worst nightmare.”
The girl was treated at a hospital and is expected to be okay.
The NYPD later announced the arrest of a suspect identified as 27-year-old Kadeem Laguerre of Brooklyn. He was arrested and booked on a charge of first-degree sexual assault.
Police are asking for anyone with additional information in the case to contact them.
Video of the bizarre incident can be viewed on the news report from WNBC on YouTube.
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