On Thursday May 2, 2019 at approximately 1404 hrs. Off. Lasanta responded to the 1st blk. E. King St. for a report of an unknown male touching the victim on her posterior. Off. Lasanta located the victim, a 42 year old female resident of Lancaster. The victim told Off, Lasanta that she had been walking on the 200 blk. N. Lime St. when a male, unknown to her, reached out and grabbed her buttocks with his hand. The victim did not know the suspect and the suspect did not have permission to touch her. The suspect then ran away from the victim. 

The victim had provided Off. Lasanta with a detailed description of the suspect. After obtaining all of the information about the incident, Off. Lasanta returned to the area in an attempt to locate the suspect. A short time later Off. Lasanta spotted a male in Musser Park seated on a bench. The male matched the description of the suspect that had been provided by the victim. The male was identified as Ricardo Hernandez-Franqui M/27 of Lancaster, PA. 

The victim was able to identify Hernandez-Franqui as the male that had touched her buttock as she walked on N. Lime St.  Off. Lasanta gathered all identifying information on Hernadez-Franqui. A check for arrest warrants showed that he had none. The crime of Indecent Assault (Without Consent) is graded as a Misdemeanor of the 2nd degree. Off. Lasanta was not able to arrest Hernandez-Franqui without a warrant due to the grading of the crime and the fact that there were no exceptions met for the arrest without a warrant. Off. Lasanta had to release Hernandez-Franqui as he went back to the station to prepare a criminal complaint that would be sent as a Summons. 

At 1538 hrs. a call was received from a business on the 1st blk. E. King St. An employee reported that a male had entered the business, cornered her and touched her inappropriately. Officers responded to that location. The caller told dispatchers that she had locked the door to the business and was not sure if the suspect was still in the area. Off. Lasanta left the station and responded to that incident as well.

The victim in the 2nd incident reported that a male, unknown to her had entered the business. The male walked up to her and backed her into a corner, put an arm around her neck and then touched her buttocks. The suspect fled from that scene prior to Police arrival. The suspect in the 2nd incident was identified as Ricardo Hernandez-Franqui. Officers checked the area as well as Hernandez-Franqui's address on the 300 blk. E. King St. but he was not located. 

Det. Lowe from the Bureau's Special Investigation Unit (SIU) filed a Criminal Complaint against Hernandez-Franqui, charging him with Indecent Assault (Forcible Compulsion) which is graded as a Misdemeanor of the 1st degree as well as Indecent Assault (Without Consent) (M2). A warrant was issued for the arrest of Hernandez-Franqui on Friday May 3, 2019. 

On Saturday May 4, 2019 at approximately 1300 hrs. Off. Whitaker spotted Hernandez-Franqui near the intersection of N. Lime St. and E. Orange St. Hernandez-Franqui was arrested on the warrant and processed on the complaint. He was held for arraignment and later committed to LCP in lieu of $200,000 bail. 

Anyone with information on these or other incidents like this is asked to contact Det. Gary Lowe at 717-735-3411 loweg@lancasterpolice.com

All persons accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.