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Sheriff's office says there could be more victims of suspect accused of raping 15-year-old

PBSO says Ricould Grier is known to frequent Lake Worth Beach, West Palm Beach, and Riviera Beach.
Ricould Grier first appearance
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LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is looking for the community's help in locating other potential victims of Ricould Grier.

Grier, 37, has been arrested on charges of sexual battery on a 15-year-old girl, and investigators believe there could be more victims.

They say Grier drives a black Audi Q3, and is known to frequent Lake Worth Beach, West Palm Beach, and Riviera Beach.

On Nov. 25, a 15-year-old girl reported to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office that she had been sexually assaulted while walking along the 700 block of 14th Ave S in Lake Worth Beach.

The girl told detectives that she had left the motel where her mother and brothers were around 5:30 a.m. and was walking with headphones on when she noticed a car pull up next to her. The driver yelled something at her, but she kept walking.

The man then got out of the vehicle, and nudged her aggressively in the shoulder. He started pushing her by her shoulders and she fell to the ground. She said he then sexually assaulted her next to an abandoned building, then ran to his car naked.

The teen then called 911 and was able to give investigators a description of Grier and his car. Nearly two months later, Grier was arrested for sexual battery of a minor and made his first appearance in court.

Renee Boone
"It’s kind of almost like a coincidence that we do have these two perpetrators who, probably, this is not their first victim,” said Renee Boone, program manager for Palm Beach County Victim Services.

"It’s a hard thing to go through,” said Renee Boone, program manager for Palm Beach County Victim Services. The office is now helping deputies with this case, as well as a similar report from earlier in the week involving the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl near Greenacres.

“It’s kind of almost like a coincidence that we do have these two perpetrators who, probably, this is not their first victim,” Boone said.

Investigators agree with Boone that there are most likely more victims.

Investigators say monitoring of Grier's vehicle showed he frequented the area of the assault around the same time of day. They say he also frequented areas known for prostitution activity.

They say Grier has a history of lewd behavior; Riviera Beach Police Department discovered him masturbating in a park, and West Palm Beach Police Department found him naked, claiming he had just had sex, though no one else was found in the area.

In both cases, the teenagers reported that they did not know their attackers, which Boone said is not usually the case.

“Eighty percent of sexual assaults are normally by someone you know, but there are those exceptions," she said.

To reduce the risk of becoming victimized, Boone said people should walk with others, stay to populated areas, tell someone where they plan on going, and advise parents to talk to their children about the dangers they could face when alone.

"We do want to make our youth and everyone aware of how to develop a safety plan, what that looks like when you're out in public," she said.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with information about Grier to contact Detective Guarducci at 561-688-4148 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.