2QUEENS, N.Y. — The NYPD is asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect wanted in connection with two forcible touching incidents that occurred within 20 minutes of each other Monday night in Astoria, both involving a deceptive claim about a spider.

According to police, the first incident happened around 10:50 p.m. near Astoria Boulevard and 22nd Street. A 25-year-old woman reported that an unknown man approached her while she was walking home, told her she had a spider on her, and then slapped and grabbed her buttocks over her clothing. He fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.

About 20 minutes later, a second woman, also 25, was walking near 47th Street and Newtown Road when she was approached from behind by a man using the same spider warning. This time, the suspect a

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