EDENWALD, the Bronx (PIX11) — A 45-year-old man is accused of following a 13-year-old girl into a Bronx park and performing a lewd act in front of her on Thursday morning, according to the NYPD.
The teen was on her way to school when Oneil Kennedy, 45, allegedly followed the girl into Seton Falls Park near East 233rd Street and Wilder Avenue in Edenwald at around 8:20 a.m., police said.
The suspect then allegedly ordered her to lift her shirt and then performed a lewd act before running off, cops said. The girl was not physically injured.
“It really is crazy. I’m sorry that happened to her,” said Erika Alexander, a concerned mother in the neighborhood.
NYPD drones and cops patrolled the park for hours before Kennedy was arrested at around 7:30 pm. Thursday. He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, public lewdness, stalking, and harassment, according to the NYPD.
Sources said Kennedy has 18 prior arrests, including one for forcible touching when he allegedly grabbed a 16-year-old girl in the Bronx in 2010.
His arraignment was pending on Friday.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here.