Police in Palo Alto released a sketch tonight of a man suspected of harassing and groping a woman as she sat in a park in the College Terrace neighborhood on Friday morning.
According to police, the victim was sitting on a bench in Werry Park, in the 2100 block of Dartmouth Street at about 11 a.m. on Friday, when a man approached her.
The victim told police that the man engaged her in conversation then aggressively touched her. He then tried to kiss her before she was able to shove him away.
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The victim said the suspect asked her if she was married and if she thought they could become "good friends."
When the victim stood up to leave, the suspect put his hand down the back of her shirt and then put his arms around her, pinning her against the bench, police said.
According to investigators, the suspect kissed the victim on her neck and forcibly pulled her chin toward him in an attempt to kiss her on the mouth. The victim was able to shove the suspect in the chest and walk away, according to police.
The victim told officers she last saw the suspect walking south on Dartmouth Street out of the park. Unable to get a cellphone signal, the victim could not immediately call 911, but was able to call police a short time later.
Police described the suspect as a Middle Eastern man, between 45 and 55 years old, standing about 5 feet 3 inches tall, and weighing about 170 to 180 pounds. The man also was described as having a potbelly, police said. The suspect was described as slightly unshaven, with short salt-and-pepper hair.
He was wearing a brown and blue plaid button-down dress shirt, brown pants, and brown shoes, police said.
Anyone with information about this incident or anyone who recognizes the suspect in the sketch is asked to call the Palo Alto police 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.
Anonymous tips can be sent via text message or voicemail to (650) 383-8984, or emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org.
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