Missoula Police Investigate Possible Sexual Assaults

Missoula police are investigating two incidents in which women were sexually assaulted while being touched inappropriately in the downtown area, possibly by the same individual.

Missoula Police Department spokesman Travis Welsh said the first incident occurred on Thursday morning.

"At about 11:30 yesterday morning, we received a report from an adult female who said she was riding across the North Side Pedestrian Footbridge when she passed a young man who was standing along the side," Welsh said. "The man reached out and apparently, as she said. grabbed her chest. She was shocked by it and continued to ride across the bridge to get away from him. Her only description of him was that he was younger and had wavy brown hair."

Welsh said a similar report came in almost immediately afterward.

"At about the same time, we received a report from a second adult female who said she was standing out on the sidewalk on the 400 block of West Railroad when a younger male rode by her on a bicycle and slapped her on the buttocks as he rode eastbound," he said. "She said she saw him turn around and rise westbound on Railroad Street, and that's the last she saw of him."

Welsh said the second female described the bicyclist as a white male wearing a faded red shirt, with a darker complexion and dark eyebrows.

Welsh said the two incidents may have been committed by the same person. There are surveillance cameras on the bridge, which captured images of a young man who matches the description of the first suspect. Those images are included in the YouTube video attached in this report.

Welsh said neither of the women wished to pursue the matter.

"We definitely want to get in touch with this young man because his behavior does raise some red flags and some concerns about potential future victims," he said. "We would like to identify this young man so we can have a talk with him."

Anyone who may be able to identify the male suspect is asked to contact the Missoula Police Department at 552-6300 or Crimestoppers at 721-44-44.