Groping Suspect Arrested After 16-Year-Old Snaps Photo
VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — Police have arrested a man accused of groping a 16-year-old girl multiple times on Metro buses after she snapped her assailant's photo.
Majdeddin Nahvi, 59, was booked Tuesday on two counts of suspicion of misdemeanor sexual battery and one count of annoying a child. Investigators describe Nahvi as a transient with a Canoga Park address.
Authorities say the girl reported the suspect had groped her on Metro buses in three separate instances between August 27 and September 30, all occurring between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The buses were traveling on Van Nuys Boulevard between Vanowen Street and Burbank Boulevard on the Route 761 line, investigators say.
Each time, the suspect allegedly sat next to the victim, covered himself in part with a sweater and then touched her.
The victim did not report the first two assaults. After the third assault, the victim took a picture of the suspect after he exited the bus and reported it to Sheriff's Transit Services Bureau deputies, investigators say.
The suspect was identified after the Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau detectives distributed a crime bulletin using the picture taken by the victim.
He was then was spotted Tuesday by Los Angeles police bicycle officers in Van Nuys and placed under arrest.
Additional charges were filed against Nahvi during his arraignment.
Deputies say he now faces five misdemeanor counts and remains in the Los Angeles County jail with bail set at $100,000.
The victim described the suspect as a white male, possibly of Hispanic or Middle Eastern descent, with black hair and brown eyes, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is seeking the public's help in locating and identifying other possible victims.
"We believe that if the suspect is this brazen to commit these crimes in public on a crowded bus, we believe he assaulted other victims," Sgt. Al Garcia said.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Special Victims Bureau at (562)946-7960 or (877)710-5273(LASD) or email Specialvictims@lasd.org.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may call LA Crime Stoppers by dialing (800)222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637) or by using the Crime Stoppers website.
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