Alleged Chinatown groper surrenders to police

The suspect in two recent groping incidents in Chinatown surrendered to cops in the Special Victims Unit on Friday – two days after he was identified as a suspect in the assaults – police announced Monday.

Melvin Bulls, 24, now faces charges of indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, simple assault, harassment and related offenses for allegedly grabbing the backsides of a 23-year-old woman and a 12-year old girl on April 26. An anonymous tip led police to issue a warrant for Bulls after they released surveillance video of one of the incidents early last week.

Court records show that Bulls has been arrested in the past, and pleaded guilty to theft and receiving stolen property in 2010 and to criminal trespassing in April of last year.

He's currently being held at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on $50,000 bail and is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing May 23.