On Monday September 28, 2020 at approximately 1409 hrs. Officers from Lancaster Bureau of Police, Platoon C, responded to the area of W. Grant St. and N. Charlotte St. for a report of an assault that had just occurred. The preliminary information provided was that a male attempted to sexually assault a female and that when she screamed for help, (2) bystanders assisted her and detained the male. 

Officers arrived and all parties were still at the scene. The victim told Officers that she had been walking on the 300 blk. W. Grant St. when a male walked up behind her and lifted the back of her skirt. The male had a phone in one hand and held it close to her body under her skirt. The male was unknown to the victim. The victim yelled for help and that is when the bystanders assisted her in detaining the suspect. The victim told the Officer that she believed the suspect was using his phone to record video of her body when he lifted her skirt. 

The suspect was identified as Ricardo Hernandez-Franqui M/28 of 1st blk. W. Strawberry St. Lancaster, PA. Hernandez-Franqui was in possession of an LG cellular phone. That phone was turned over to the Officer and seized as evidence. Officers spoke with all parties involved and the investigation was referred to Detectives in the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). 

On September 29, 2020 a search warrant for the contents of Hernandez-Franqui's phone was applied for and granted. The search yielded numerous videos of surreptitious videos of female buttocks in a technique commonly referred to as "up-skirting". The search yielded video from the encounter on the 300 blk. W. Grant St. from the previous day.

The search also yielded video from an incident that had been reported to Lancaster Bureau of Police on August 26, 2020. That incident occurred on the 300 blk. N. Prince St. at approximately 1315 hrs. In that incident, Hernandez-Franqui walked behind (2) females. The video showed that Hernandez-Franqui recorded one of the female's buttocks. Hernandez-Franqui then bumped into the victim, put the phone under her dress and continued recording video. Hernandez-Franqui then fled the scene on foot. 

After consultation with the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, Det. Jessica Higgins filed a Criminal Complaint against Hernandez-Franqui for the incident that occurred on 300 blk. N. Prince St. on August 26, 2020. He was charged with Invasion of Privacy (M3), Possessing Instruments of Crime (M1) and Harassment (S). 

Det. Gary Lowe filed a Criminal Complaint against Hernandez-Franqui for the incident that occurred on the 300 blk. W. Grant St. on September 28, 2020. He was charged with Invasion of Privacy (M3), Possessing Instruments of Crime (M1) and Harassment (S). 

Hernandez-Franqui was taken into custody on October 1, 2020. He was placed on record and held for arraignment on the complaint filed by Det. Higgins. As of the time of this press release, Hernandez-Franqui has not been arraigned on the complaint filed by Det. Lowe. Hernandez-Franqui was committed to LCP in lieu of $100,000 bail. 

Anyone with information on these incidents or incidents that have not yet been reported is asked to contact Lancaster Bureau of Police. You can speak with an Officer by calling (717) 664-1180 in order to file a report.

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