The Irving Police Department is searching for one or more men involved in a series of simple assaults.
Eight female victims have reported being inappropriately touched on the buttocks or chest by an unknown suspect.
All of the offenses occurred in southeast Irving between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., according to police. A majority of the incidents occurred on Friday or Saturday mornings.
"He just grabbed me," said Beatriz Ramirez. "I was just screaming and tried to kick him and I yelled for my sister."
Ramirez said the man attacked her while she was walking through an apartment complex parking lot off Nursery Rd. She walked past him and then he turned and came up from behind and grabbed her chest before running away.
"I was shocked," said Ramirez. "I'm still scared because he's probably still around here."
Victims told police the man who touched them is Hispanic, between the ages of 25 and 45, but physical descriptions have varied from tall and slender to short and heavy-set. In some instances, witnesses told police the man was dressed in painter's pants and a gray or dark-colored hoodie.
Some victims reported the man was bald, between the ages of 24 and 35, between 5-feet 8-inches and 6 feet tall, and weighing between 130 and 150 pounds.
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Police said the man always approached the victims on foot, and after each occurrence, he immediately runs away. One witness saw the man leaving in a black 1990s Dodge Ram pickup with an extended cab.
"We need the public's help to try and get this guy identified, try to get this guy stopped," said James McLellan with Irving police.
"These are simple assaults," said McLellan. "At this point the punishment for something like that would only carry a citation or ticket. We're more concerned about what this might lead to. Is this something that starts minor and gets worse? We don't know."
Among the eight cases are two involving teenage girls walking to school. Police said it's possible if the suspect could be linked to those crimes he could face felony charges.
Anyone with information on these cases or anyone who sees someone exhibiting suspicious behavior is asked to contact the police department immediately.
The police department encourages pedestrians to avoid walking alone if possible, always be aware of their surroundings and persons nearby, walk with your head up and with a sense of purpose and have an action plan and a way to call for help if necessary.
NBC 5's Katy Blakey contributed to this report.
