Man arrested in sexual battery cases near Tulane university, police say

Following reports of a man on a bicycle grabbing women by the buttocks near Tulane University, New Orleans police have identified and arrested a suspect on misdemeanor sexual battery charges, authorities said.

Around 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23, Tulane University police received two different calls of women being grabbed by the buttocks by a man in a blue-and-white striped shirt riding a blue bicycle in the 1000 and 1200 blocks of Broadway Street, Tulane police said.

“Both victims reported walking along Broadway when an unknown male riding a bicycle approached from behind and grabbed their buttocks,” the Tulane report stated. “In both instances the victim fled on his bicycle northbound on Broadway.”

Tulane police and NOPD officers located a man fitting the description of the suspect and bicycle Sunday morning on South Carrollton Avenue near Burthe Street, and he was identified as 44-year-old Kendrick Shorts, according to a NOPD news release. Detectives with the NOPD Sex Crimes unit arrested Shorts and charged him with misdemeanor sexual battery, the reports state.

Anyone with additional information about these incidents is urged to call the NOPD Second District station at 658-6020, Tulane police at 865-5381, or CrimeStoppers at 822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.