Port Chester man arrested for grabbing Eastern Middle School student

Hector J Romero Vargas, 31, of Port Chester, NY was arrested on Monday for grabbing a student on her way to Eastern Middle School. The incident happened on September 11, 2025 at around 8am. A student was approached by a stranger from behind at the intersection of Lockwood Road and Breezemont Avenue near the tennis courts. She was held for a few seconds and then quickly released.

Police released a blurred photo of a person standing next to a vehicle and asked the community for help identifying him. That input helped the police to track him down.

Upon hearing of the warrant for his arrest, Vargas surrendered into custody at the Greenwich Police Department. Vargas was unable to post the court set bond of $250,000. Vargas was charged with second-degree unlawful restraint, fourth-degree sexual assault, first-degree stalking, second-degree child endangerment, risk of injury to a child, and second-degree breach of peace.

Between the Lines: While the police did a good job of finding and arresting this man, there is still much we don't know about him. What was his occupation? Why did he target that particular child? Could he have been part of a crime ring? Was he here legally? "Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!" (Dr. Suess).

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