By Paul Lomax and Tom Liddy
DNAinfo
MANHATTAN — A woman was groped on the Upper East Side early Saturday morning in an attack similar to a spree of sexual assaults that has plagued the neighborhood, sources said.
The 29-year-old victim was walking on East 88th Street and First Avenue, near her home, around 5:45 a.m. when she was approached from behind, according to the sources.
The attacker, described as a Hispanic man in his 20s, then reached under her dress and groped her.
The victim was not injured, but was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Cops are trying to determine if the attack fits into a pattern of six sexual assaults on nearby blocks in which young women were groped beginning Jan. 5.
The attacker in that case is described as a Hispanic man, 4-foot-11, 120 pounds, with black hair. Police released a sketch this past week.
"It's horrible that this is still happening up here," said resident Julia Katz, 24. "I'm very, very scared to go out these days."
The attack had Effie Mathers, 35, on edge, too.
"It's frightening," she said. "This is normally a safe neighborhood. There should be more of a police presence as there are a lot of single women in this area."
Aside from the spate of gropings, the neighborhood has seen two well-publicized sexual attacks in recent weeks, including an 85-year-old woman who was raped and robbed.
And on May 22, a 25-year-old woman narrowly escaped being sexually assaulted on 90th Street and Lexington Avenue.
