UPDATE: Jared Braggs (DOB: 05-07-1992) was arrested on May 20 in connection with this incident and booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center with two counts of sexual acts prohibited in public and one count of simple battery.

ORIGINAL RELEASE: The NOPD is seeking assistance from the public in identifying and locating a suspect wanted for alleged obscene acts and simple battery in an incident that occurred on May 10, 2018 in the 700 block of Elysian Fields Avenue.

The victim told police that at about 2 p.m., she was with two known juveniles at Washington Square Park when her attention was drawn to an unknown black male standing behind bushes in the children’s playground area of the park. The victim said that the subject was intently staring at the children when another bystander yelled at him to stop what he was doing and to leave the park. At that time, the victim said, the male relocated to another area of bushes, at which time she had a clear view of the subject with his hand in his pants allegedly masturbating as he watched the children play.

The victim said she confronted the subject about his alleged behavior, at which time she took the above picture of the subject before he reportedly flung water from a bottle onto the victim’s face and chest and then fled the area on foot. The victim said she and the known juveniles then left the location.

The subject is described as a black male believed to be in his late 20s, standing between 5’10 and 6’0 and weighing about 175 pounds with a short beard and close cropped haircut. He was last seen wearing the clothing in which he is pictured.

Anyone with additional information on the pictured subject or this incident is asked to contact Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080, or call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.