Bike riders nabbed in multiple Astoria gropings

Thanks to the bravery of Kate Salute and Michelle Gutmann, the women of Astoria have one thing fewer to fear.
Salute and Gutmann’s courageous stand against the bicycle riders who groped them and countless other women earlier this year led to a police investigation and the eventual capture of two suspects who have been identified by victims as the peddle predators.
In order to speak out against sexual harassment, abuse and violence, Salute and Gutmann organized a rally on August 18 at Athens Square Park, located at 30th Street and 30th Avenue in Astoria. Among the community leaders who attended the gathering were Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr., Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, Senator Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Aravella Simotas.
“This rally and the hard work of Michelle and Kate remind us that our community has plenty of resources and immediate help if we ever need it,” said Vallone Jr. “Our precinct acted quickly and efficiently and our community leaders came out in force to combat this problem. But most importantly, the strong women of Astoria banned together and sent an equally strong message that we will not tolerate this criminal and abhorrent behavior.”
Elected officials were joined at the rally by the Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention (SAVI) Program, the New York Anti-Crime Agency, Safe Horizon and several self defense experts, including community advocate Antonio Meloni. Meloni also held a seminar on practical safety tips and techniques on August 17 at the Immaculate Conception School.
After Salute and Gutmann posted the news of their attacks on WhyLeaveAstoria.com, a blog for Astoria residents, there was an outpouring of women who responded that they had also been groped. In total, 45 women shared the stories of their encounters with the perverts. Several of the victims, including Salute and Gutmann, banded together to form Astoria against Violence, a group which spreads the word about violence occurring in the neighborhood.
“There was such a huge response,” said Salute, who initially wanted to remain anonymous. “There were so many women who all said, ‘I thought it was just me.’ But if we can stand together and say, ‘it’s not just me,’ then maybe we can do something about it. That starts with one person, or two people, me and Michelle, in this case.”
The rain that ended the event early could not wash away the gratitude of women who appreciated Salute and Gutmann stepping forward to help catch the perverts.
“I keep congratulating Michelle and Kate,” said Colleen Jasinski, a resident of Astoria. “It was so great of them to come forward, not even realizing what they were starting. I was amazed at the number of women that were coming forward, and the attention it was getting from the media and the police. Without them, none of this would have happened.”