An East Elmhurst man pleaded guilty in court on Monday to charges that he groped two young girls in Corona last October.
Noe Angel Soriano Cruz, 39, of 102nd Street entered guilty pleas on Monday to counts of second-degree attempted sexual abuse and second-degree sexual abuse. He now faces up to two years in prison when he’s officially sentenced on March 1, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said.
“The girls will likely remember this violation by a stranger for the rest of their lives,” Brown said on Feb. 4. “The defendant’s predatory behavior for his own demented sexual gratification is unacceptable in a civilized society.”
Prosecutors said that Cruz approached a 10-year-old girl on Oct. 3, 2018, inside of a bodega on 104th Street near 39th Avenue. He then grabbed the victim between her legs before bolting from the store.
Law enforcement sources said Cruz struck again on Oct. 9, when he followed a 13-year-old girl as she walked along Junction Boulevard. Upon reaching 45th Avenue, authorities said, Cruz grabbed the girl’s crotch from behind, then fled the location.
The NYPD Queens Special Victims Squad tracked down Cruz on Oct. 10 after obtaining and releasing security camera footage of the suspect near the crime scenes.
