Video Emerges of Scary Incident in Fishtown Involving a 13-Year-Old Girl
Police are investigating a series of disturbing interactions between a man and girls and women on the street.
A surveillance image from Fishtown after a man allegedly touched a 13-year-old girl inappropriately (image provided, video embedded below)
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Video Emerges of Scary Incident In Fishtown Involving a Man and a Girl on the Street
Update 4/2/2025 at 4:25pm: The Philadelphia Police Department has identified the suspect as 29-year-old Noel Vargas. They have issued an arrest warrant and are searching for him.
Original:
The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating what appears to be a series of disturbing incidents in Fishtown involving a man and women and girls on the street.
Police say there have been two such incidents. Residents say there have been four or more.
The one incident involved a 13-year-old student at AMY at James Martin, a middle school on Thompson Street. The student was walking to school when, in the words of a statement released by school officials, “a male stranger approached her and touched [her] inappropriately.”
“Get off me!” shouts the girl. “What the fuck?! Don’t touch me!”
She screams and runs across the street. He runs away in the direction of the camera but then turns and runs in the other direction.
Another incident involved a 36-year-old woman, who told police that a man touched her inappropriately as she was putting her son in the back seat of a car on Palmer Street. Police believe the same man is responsible for both crimes and describe him as a Hispanic male in his 30s, approximately 5’6″, with a heavy build and a beard.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable and horrific,” says local resident Melissa Jannes. “We need to get him off the street so he can’t do this to anyone else. He has no shame. He wasn’t scared to do it. It’s a scary world to be a woman.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Special Victims Unit at 215-685-3251 or submit tips anonymously at 215-686-TIPS.
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