Man charged for allegedly groping girl at Forest Hills MBTA Station

A person who allegedly groped a girl at Forest Hills Station and harassed others on an MBTA bus on Could 25 is now going through prices, in response to Suffolk County District Legal professional Kevin Hayden’s workplace. Police identified him when he approached officers on the station and tried to make dialog with them final week. 

Rufus Sanders Jr., 63, of West Roxbury was charged with indecent assault and battery on an individual over 14 and lewd, wanton and lascivious conduct. 

On Could 25 at about 6 p.m., police spoke with a girl who mentioned {that a} man, later recognized as Sanders, approached her at Forest Hills Station. He allegedly positioned his proper hand on her shoulder and moved it all the way down to cup her breast. He then moved his hand to her waist and tried to tug the girl nearer, officers mentioned. 

The lady described her assailant to police as a person sporting a camouflage bucket hat, a white long-sleeve shirt, and grey pants. MBTA Transit Police launched a picture of him just a few days later. 

The lady then pushed him out of the way in which and moved towards a extra crowded space of the station. Sanders tried to seize her once more, inflicting one other particular person to intervene, in response to Hayden’s workplace. 

Sanders got here up from behind the girl as she bought on a bus and grabbed her bag in an try to tug it off, prosecutors mentioned. She broke free, boarded the bus, and moved to the entrance to get away from Sanders. 

Sanders then moved to the again of the bus. That’s when the sufferer heard one other girl in the direction of the again of the bus yell “cease grabbing my ass,” in response to Hayden’s workplace. 

Police additionally spoke with a witness who mentioned she noticed a person harassing two younger ladies on a bus on Could 26. She yelled for the person to cease. He then sat throughout from her, unfold his legs, and fondled his crotch space whereas looking at her, in response to Hayden’s workplace. 

This girl recorded the incident and confirmed the video to police. They acknowledged the person to be the identical suspect described by the earlier sufferer, and he was sporting the identical clothes described by the primary sufferer. 

On June 5, Sanders approached officers at Forest Hills Station and tried to start out a dialog with them. He was holding an open beer container on the time, Hayden’s workplace mentioned. Police instantly acknowledged him because the suspect they have been on the lookout for. He was sporting the identical camouflage bucket hat and recognized himself in a nonetheless photograph supplied by one of many victims to police. 

“This particular person’s conduct is harmful and disturbing and impacts the security realities and perceptions of our many residents who depend on public transportation. I thank police for his or her work on the case and commend the victims for talking as much as assist stop any future assaults by this particular person,” Hayden mentioned in an announcement.

A choose set Sanders’ bail at $750 and ordered him to avoid the victims and the Forest Hills Station. He’s scheduled to return to court docket on June 30 for a pre-trial listening to.