The NYPD has caught the Hispanic known as the Upper East Side groper

Jose Perez Hernandez, 18, left the Special Victims Unit after being charged in connection with the series of gropings. Hernandez has been charged with burglary, sexual abuse and forcibly touching several women. Police picked up Hernandez at an apartment in Queens following a tip from a building superintendent on the Upper East Side. Investigators said that the super recognized the suspect from a sketch. Hernandez worked as a dishwasher at an Italian restaurant on East 81st Street. He was placed in a lineup and charged in connection with three of the gropings. The restaurant owner said that the Hispanic suspect had worked there until recently. He thought that Hernandez resembled the suspect’s photo put out by police, but felt he didn’t have enough information to call police. Tips from the superintendent allowed police to trace the teen to a residence in Queens. For months, many women in the area were wary of being grabbed or fondled by the 4’11″ man. Police said that he was captured on surveillance camera, and is responsible for several incidents dating back to May 2011. Police said that the suspect grabbed women from behind, oftentimes lifting a skirt. All the women approached were in their 20s and early 30s. In the latest incident, a 28-year-old woman told police that she was walking on a path in Central Park when she was approached by the suspect. Investigators said that she fought back, kicking, punching and poking him in the eye.