Man accused of groping 3 women on T

By Stewart Bishop, Globe Correspondent

A Boston man was arrested on indecent assault charges after struggling with transit police responding to reports that he groped several women on a Green Line train Friday night, transit police said.

The suspect, Jose Carlos Delacruz, 24, of Dorchester, was accused of touching at least three women in an inappropriate manner around 10 p.m. Friday night on the C line in Brookline.

Jose Carlos Delacruz

After allegedly groping one woman's buttocks, Delacruz then moved on to two other women and touched them inappropriately. When another man tried to place himself between Delacruz and the women, the suspect pushed the man and continued trying to grope the women.

When the train stopped at Coolidge Corner, an MBTA inspector arrived and detained Delacruz until police arrived. It took three officers to subdue Delacruz, officers said, after he became combative and started cursing loudly at the officers, they said.

The suspect continued his tirade and violent behavior even after being placed in custody, they said.

Police charged Delacruz with indecent assault and battery, disorderly conduct, and three counts of assault and battery. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Norfolk District Court.

In conjunction with their Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign, transit police advise riders who encounter such a situation to move away to the best of their ability and do as much as they can to draw attention to the attacker and enlist the help of fellow riders.

"If possible, get a picture of the individual with your cellphone," said Transit Police Chief Paul MacMillan. "It's one of the best ways for us to catch the attacker."

So far this year, there have been seven reported groping incidents on the T.

• Comment
• Permalink
• Email