Sleeping Woman Groped on Miami-to-D.C. Flight

A Virginia man has been arrested and charged for allegedly groping a sleeping woman on a flight from Miami to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

According to an affidavit by an investigating FBI agent, Saurabh Agarwal, of Sterling, Va., told the woman she seemed tired and asked if she had a long day as she took a seat next to him on American Airlines Flight 1142 to Ronald Reagan National Airport. She said she would probably fall asleep right after takeoff, which she did.

When she woke, Agarwal was hugging her body with his hand inside her bra fondling her breast, according to the affidavit. In fear, she pretended she was still asleep, and Agarwal squeezed her body tighter. He took the victim’s hand and would squeeze it as he squeezed her nipple, the affidavit said.

Agarwal stopped when the refreshment cart approached. He ordered two scotches and asked the victim if she’d like one, but she continued to pretend to sleep, according to the affidavit.

When the flight attendant moved away, Agarwal allegedly began groping the woman again.

At one point, the victim pretended to wake up and said nothing to Agarwal. She put on her headphones, and Agarwal talked to her as if nothing had happened, according to the affidavit.

Agarwal leaned into the victim and pressed his legs against her, the affidavit said, and the woman left her seat saying she needed to use the bathroom, which is when she reported the incident to the flight crew.

The woman sitting in the seat on the defendant’s other side witnessed the incident but said she thought the two were together. After the victim left her seat, Agarwal touched the other woman’s leg, saying he had dropped his drink, and she quickly left her seat and went to the back of the plane where she saw the victim crying and realized she wasn’t with the defendant, the affidavit said.

The defendant was taken into custody in at Reagan National. He is charged with abusive sexual contact.