Philadelphia police are investigating after they said a woman was followed and groped in broad daylight in the city’s Kensington neighborhood.
The incident happened around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday on Collins Street. Surveillance video obtained by NBC10 shows a man dressed in dark clothing and a black jacket following a woman down the street.
After trailing the woman for about 15 seconds, the man grabbed and inappropriately touched her from behind before running away, according to police.
Neighbors in the area said they are concerned the suspect could strike again.
“A sick person, there’s no way around it, it’s just a sick person,” neighbor Thomas Delgado said.
“If I were to see that situation, I would take care of that situation as soon as possible,” Delgado added.
Neighbors said the victim was visiting someone on the block and does not live there.
Jamie La Pierre-Valentine said her surveillance cameras captured the incident. She said the victim came to her after it happened.
“A pervert, definitely a pervert. Someone who’s looking for power over somebody else,” Pierre-Valentine said.
Neighbors also said the suspect appeared to be wearing two different kinds of shoes, something they said stood out to them in the video.
“Dude lookout, because there are people out there who aren’t afraid to defend themselves, you could be next,” Pierre-Valentine added.
Police said the victim has been working with investigators to provide a better description of the suspect. Officers are also searching for additional surveillance video.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.