CINCINNATI — A blond-haired cat-caller in gray sweatpants spent mid-March as the subject of anxious, uneasy and sometimes angry Facebook posts in a variety of Northside community groups.
On Wednesday night, he became the subject of an official police notice: Keep your distance and call 911 if you spot him.
Police believe Alexander Bennett, 22, is behind a string of incidents in which women report having been harassed by the same man in Northside.
A police report filed March 13 describes the most extreme incident: “Victim stated that listed suspect came up behind her, grabbed her buttock and manipulated his fingers in victim’s crotch area. Suspect then laughed and said, ‘Sorry,’ and flipped victim off and walked away.”
Facebook alleged additional unwanted interactions between Bennett and strangers, including verbal harassment, groping, stalking and menacing. At least one Northside group attempted to keep a running tab on his location over the weekend.
“I really hope they find him,” resident Lucy Steiner said. “If I see him, I’m calling right away because I want him off the streets.”
Hamilton County court records show Bennett had been convicted of menacing in 2015, when he threatened to kill a police officer with a knife.
Although he faces no charges in connection to the Northside incidents, police said he has a history of mental illness and should be considered dangerous.
Bennett stands six feet tall, weighs 150 pounds and has blue eyes and long blond hair.
