A 26-year-old Brooklyn man, Kalen Bell, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly sexually assaulting five women, aged 21 to 60, in separate incidents over the past few weeks. Bell, a resident of Vinegar Hill, was taken into custody at 9:25 a.m. on April 8 by detectives from the Brooklyn Special Victims Squad. He is facing charges of five counts of forcible touching and five counts of third-degree sexual abuse.
Bell was escorted from the Borough’s Special Victims Unit at 653 Grand Ave. on Tuesday afternoon, where he declined to answer media questions regarding the allegations. He was then transported to criminal court for his arraignment.
According to authorities, the alleged assaults took place between March 19 and April 2 within the areas covered by Brooklyn’s 84th and 88th precincts. In each case, Bell reportedly approached the victims from behind and committed lewd acts by thrusting his pelvic area against their buttocks before fleeing the scene.
The first incident occurred on March 19, at around 6:45 a.m., when a 30-year-old woman walking near Gold and Front Streets was approached from behind. The suspect grabbed her waist and committed the assault before fleeing the area on foot. No physical injuries were reported, although the woman was left disturbed.
On March 30, a 21-year-old woman walking near Middagh and Willow Streets was similarly assaulted at 7:48 a.m. The suspect approached her from behind, placed his hands around her arms, and performed the lewd act before running away. Again, there were no physical injuries, but the victim was shaken by the assault.
The third and fourth incidents occurred on April 1 and April 2. A 34-year-old woman was assaulted near Henry and Joralemon Streets on April 1 at 10:29 p.m., while a 60-year-old woman was attacked on April 2 at 3:40 a.m. near Fulton Street and Ashland Place. In both cases, the suspect fled the scene after committing the assault.
Authorities released images of the suspect through Crime Stoppers last week. A member of the public identified Bell, leading to his arrest on April 8. Details about the fifth incident were not immediately available at the time of Bell’s arrest.
Bell’s arrest has drawn attention to sexual assault concerns in Brooklyn, prompting increased awareness and calls for action to protect women in the borough.
