Angel Farias, 71, of Jamaica, was charged with sexual abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child after allegedly groping a 6-year-old girl in a Marshalls store.
Photo courtesy of the NYPD
A elderly Jamaica man was criminally charged with sexual abuse and other crimes for groping a 6-year-old girl in the toy aisle of a Marshalls department store on April 16.
Angel Farias, 71, of 149th Street, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Tuesday night on a complaint charging him with sexual abuse in the first degree, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child.
According to the charges, between 3:30 and 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, the youngster was shopping with her mother inside the Marshalls store at 168-23 Jamaica Ave. when they became separated. Farias encountered the girl on two occasions, including in the store’s toy aisle, and touched the child twice on her genitals.
Detectives from the NYPD’s Queens Child Abuse Squad apprehended Farias at his 149th Street home on Monday, April 20, and booked at the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills. A detective showed him stills taken from video surveillance from inside the store that captured the incident and confirmed that it was him, according to the criminal complaint.
“I touched her hand. I touched her face. I might have accidentally touched her private area,” Farias told the detective. “I saw the girl was afraid. I left thinking I got myself into a problem.”
Farias was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Anthany Battisti who set bail at $5,000 cash and $25,000 bond. If convicted, Farias faces up to seven years in prison.
“As alleged, this defendant preyed on a young girl and subjected her to sexual abuse while she should have been safely browsing the toy aisle,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “No child should have to endure this. Thank you to the brave victim for coming forward and our partners at the NYPD for quickly apprehending the defendant.”