Man arrested for grabbing women’s butt

When approached by authorities, he blurted out that he thought he knew the victim and “only touched her a little bit.”

Broward Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Dani Moschella told the Daily News the development is used by people all over the community because it has a long circular road. At least four victims have told police about a strange, curly haired man who assaulted them between December and March, and police had been trying to catch the local deviant, Moschella said.

“Women were well aware of it,” she said. “We definitely tried hard to find out who was doing this and tried to arrest him.”

The department had actually set up a sting operation at the subdivision on Tuesday, the day of the arrest, and used a decoy in hopes of drawing out the suspect, Moschella said.

That plan was not a success, but 45 minutes after it ended they got a call from a woman who was groped by a man with the same description as the perpetrator in the other incidents.

The officers raced over to the scene and found Lopez.

The suspect was dressed in dark clothing and was holding a blue hat that he wore to conceal his face when he grabbed the woman’s left buttock, authorities said in a report. He was walking when officers spotted him at 9:25 p.m., though they noted he was dripping with sweat.

Lopez, who lives in the adjourning town of Pembroke Pines, spontaneously admitted to touching the victim before he was even questioned.

“I’m sorry, I thought I knew that girl. I didn’t mean to touch her,” he said, according to the report. “I just thought I knew her. I only touched her a little bit.”

Lopez was arrested and at the station he admitted to inappropriately touching the buttocks of three or four different women — though law enforcement officials believe there are more incidents.

He was also charged with grabbing a woman at her thigh and attempting to lift her off the ground in December.

The victim pushed him away and escaped.

Lopez was transported to county jail.