Police Search For Suspect In Midtown Tulsa Sexual Battery

Tulsa police hope the public can help them find a suspect in sexual battery incidents that took place in December 2012, near the Southroads Mall shopping center.

They said a strange man touched a woman and a child inappropriately near the shopping center at 41st and Yale.

Detectives say the man went after another woman, who was jogging at a nearby park.

Police are reaching out to the public, concerned the crimes could escalate.

"He'd brush up against them or touch them in an inappropriate manner," said Sgt. Mark Mears.

Mears is looking into multiple reports of possible sexual battery. The first two happened the same day at Southroads Mall shopping center.

"It's kind of a perversion some guys have, he just brushed up against her initially and then he followed her out to the parking lot and actually groped her out in the parking lot," Mears said.

Mears said the first victim was a woman in her 30s, but the second was much younger.

"An 11-year-old girl was in a store and she went and told her mom that this guy had grabbed her bottom a couple of times and gave almost exactly the same description," Mears said.

One victim got a good enough look to help police draw up a composite sketch of the suspect.

The victims described him as mixed race or Hispanic, in his 20s or early 30s. Police say he wasn't wearing glasses in all of the attacks.

The third report came to police from Whiteside Park, by another woman in her 30s.

The suspect didn't touch that victim, but Mears said the woman told police she felt threatened.

"The one at the park, she was jogging and she basically out ran him," Mears said.

Detectives say the suspect wasn't subtle, he wasn't trying to hide and he wasn't lurking around any bushes, instead, he approached all three victims in the wide open.

"We tend to get tunnel vision and focused on what we're doing," Mears said. "Always be aware of your surroundings, notice if somebody is noticing you or acting strangely."

In all three cases, police say the victims did the right thing by getting away from the suspect quickly and calling police.

Police also say, if you're attacked, you should scream, yell, do anything you can to draw attention to yourself.

And if you have any information about the suspect, call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.