CINCINNATI — A man has been arrested and charged for groping multiple people inside more than one store on Cincinnati's west side, according to Delhi Township police.
Police said a juvenile reported she was shopping in the cosmetics aisle at the Delhi Kroger on Sept. 8 when a man walked behind her and groped her butt; Surveillance footage from the Kroger led Delhi police to identify the man as 27-year-old Malik Rahab, police said.
According to a press release, Delhi police then learned Cincinnati police were trying to identify Rahab for similar incidents that happened earlier in the month at the Hobby Lobby on Glencrossing Way. Police said those incidents happened on Sept. 2 and Sept. 8.
Separately, on Sept. 8 in Campbell County, charges of harassment were filed against Rahab after he allegedly inappropriately touched a woman while she shopped.
Delhi police said detectives determined, based on surveillance footage at both the Delhi Kroger and the Hobby Lobby, Rahab assaulted more people who have not reported the crime.
"We've got him potentially in Colerain Township, we have him in Northern Kentucky, a couple different locations so this is more of a situation that's not localized to just this area,"said Lieutenant Joe Macaluso, Delhi Township Police.
Court documents say that on Sept. 7, at the Newport Kroger, a woman told officers she was shopping in the clearance section and bent over to look at something. The woman alleged she felt something repeatedly brush her butt and when she turned around, she saw Rahab standing directly behind her with his phone in his hand, near her butt.
"Predator like," said Macaluso, describing Rahab's behavior. "I think that he has been stalking these women in stores and this is an opportunity for him to grope them. It's certainly concerning because I'm sure that's part of his thing that he likes to do is get as close as he possibly get and just barely touch the clothing in order for him to get his pleasure."
Anyone who may have been touched inappropriately by Rahab at Hobby Lobby on Sept. 2 or Sept. 8 can contact Detective Merredeth Newman at 513.263.8327. Anyone who may have been touched inappropriately at the Delhi Kroger on Sept. 8 can contact Lt. Joe Macaluso at 513.922.0060.
Delhi police said on Friday Rahab faced two charges of sexual imposition; On Monday, court records showed Rahab faces three charges of sexual imposition. One of those charges was filed on Sept. 14 and Rahab has been held in the Hamilton County jail on a $75,000 bond on that charge.
The other two charges were filed on Sept. 16; Rahab was given a $10,000 bond for each of those charges. Rahab is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 21 for the harassment charge filed in Campbell County.
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