Police say they arrested man after groping spree in Ballard

BALLARD – Police arrested a 19-year-old man in Ballard on Thursday morning after they say he groped several women.

They said it started at an office building in the 1700 block of NW Market around 10:30 a.m., when he walked over to a woman and asked for a kiss, then straddled and groped her.

The woman screamed and pushed the man away, but he stayed in the lobby and got a drink from the water cooler.

She started shouting, police said, and the man took off once office staff came to see what was going on.

Police said they almost immediately began getting 911 calls about the same man groping and harassing two other women on the street.

The man was arrested near 22nd Ave. NW and NW 57th St., and booked into King County Jail for assault and indecent liberties.