Man Grabs Teen At Bus Stop, Masturbates In Cleveland

CLEVELAND — A man at a bus stop masturbated in front of a 16-year-old girl last week, Cleveland police said. Less than a week later, someone tried to pull a 14-year-old girl off the street. Police are hoping the public can help identify the suspect or suspects in both cases.

On September 25, a 16-year-old girl was walking down E. 36th Street, at 6:40 a.m., when she noticed a man following her. The girl sat at a bus stop and the man then sat next to her. He then began masturbating.

The teenager got up to run away and the man grabbed her wrist. The 16-year-old fought the man off and then sprinted away.

On October 1, at 7 a.m., a 14-year-old girl walking down E. 36th was grabbed by a man. He tried to pull her off the street by her wrist. The girl broke free and flagged down a passerby for help.

In both cases, the suspect was described as an African American man, approximately 6 feet tall, and weighing 200 pounds. He appeared to be in his early 30s and was either bald or had a receding hairline. He had tattoos under both eyes, of red and black lightning bolts, a small patch of facial hair, possibly a goatee, and had a zipper hoodie pulled over his head. It's unclear if the two incidents are connected, police said.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the 3rd District Detective Bureau at 216-623-5318. Anonymous information can be given to Crime Stoppers by calling 216-252-7463 or via text message: text TIP657 plus your message to Crimes (274637).