Jersey City police say Bayonne man, 21, faces charges after grabbing two 13-year-old girls on street

Saturday, November 06, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A Bayonne man who police say grabbed two 13-year-old girls on the street in Greenville has been charged with criminal sexual contact and been sent for psychological evaluation, officials said.

Matthew A. Magill, 21, was also charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child when he was arrested shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday after blurting out to police officers that he "was just trying to scare people," reports said.

One of the 13-year-old girls told police she was on her way home from school when she saw the man standing near her house and after making eye contact with her, he put on a black mask, reports said. The girl starting walking to a friend's house instead and when she realized he was following her, she began running, reports said.

The man sprinted after her and grabbed her in the middle of the street, but she pulled free and screamed for help, reports said, adding that he then grabbed her book bag but she let go of it and got away. Several adults in the area came to the girl's aid and the man took off, reports said.

Police scoured the area and spotted him on Winfield Avenue, cops said. While police were taking him into custody, a 13-year-old Winfield Avenue girl approached and told cops that Magill just minutes earlier "went under my skirt and grabbed my butt," reports said.