By Alex Davidson
Police in the 102nd Precinct said they want to charge a man with stalking for allegedly following and repeatedly harassing a 10-year-old girl while she was walking to school and eating a meal at a fast food restaurant in Richmond Hill two weeks ago.
Detective Robert Salvatore of the 102nd Detective Squad said the suspect, aka Bobby Thompson, who has a lengthy criminal record and just recently finished a seven-year jail term for robbery, could possibly be in Jackson Heights or Astoria.
“(Thompson) was asking the girl questions, telling her she had a pretty jacket and he then gave her a dollar to go down the block and buy candy for him,” Salvatore said. “The girl then saw her friend and the girl's mother and told them (Thompson) was asking her questions.”
The first incident, which took place Feb. 27 in Richmond Hill while the girl was walking to PS 161 at 101-33 124th St., ended when the friend's mother told Thompson to leave the unidentified 10-year-old alone, Salvatore said. The suspect instead followed the trio on their way to school and screamed obscenities at them and the phrase, “It's a free country, I can do what I want” Salvatore said.
The same 10-year-old girl was then at a fast food restaurant with her mother the next day and saw Thompson outside the window staring at the couple, Salvatore said. The detective said Thompson repeatedly waved and left after the mother and daughter ignored him.
“A neighbor may have confronted (Thompson) about the incidents and we think he left after that,” Salvatore said. “He's used more than 10 names, and various Social Security numbers and birth dates.”
The detective said Thompson has family in New Jersey and Florida but probably did not have enough money to get too far. He was staying with his sister at the time of the incidents but has not been seen since, Salvatore said.
His previous crimes included convictions for gun and narcotics possession, robbery and assault, police said. Salvatore said Thompson has not had any previous convictions or arrests on charges of committing sexual crimes with children.
Reach reporter Alex Davidson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 1-718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
