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Suspect Sought In Separate Main Line Groping Attacks

By Suzanne Monaghan and Todd Quinones

LOWER MERION, Pa. (CBS) -- Lower Merion police are on the lookout for a groper following two separate incidents Monday.

The first incident occurred in broad daylight, the second 12 hours later in the darkness. In both cases the man approached the victim from behind.

Just before 10 a.m. a 26-year-old woman was walking down Montgomery Avenue in front of the Chabad of the Main Line. She noticed a man on the opposite side of the street, then moments later the victim says that same man grabbed her and ran off.

"I wasn't hurt. I turned around and screamed and he ran off the other direction," said the first victim, who asked not to be identified.

The second groping happened just after 9 p.m. on Montgomery Avenue, just yards from the first attack. Police say the suspect grabbed the 34-year-old victim, pulled her to the ground, groped her and ran away.

"I wouldn't expect for that to happen during the day," said Megan Matthews, who takes the bus home then walks a few blocks to her home in Narberth, just across the street from where the attacks occurred.

Like others the groping caught her off guard.

"I feel like Narberth is my refuge, my safe haven coming back from Philly. There are parts of Philadelphia that I work in that are pretty dangerous areas," Matthews said.

The first victim was taken by surprise by the daylight attack.

"Middle of the day, nobody stops. There were cars driving by. It could be it happened so quickly nobody really saw it, but it was a little crazy. There were lots of cars on the street," she said.

Neither woman was injured. The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic male about 5'10" tall. He was last seen wearing black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and a black cap.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lower Merion Police.

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