A 14-year-old girl in Kentwood fought off a man who tried to grab her as she walked home from school, setting off a police investigation that uncovered a second assault on a 66-year-old woman just hours earlier.

According to newly released court documents, John Moore, 29, was arrested on May 13 and charged with assault and battery and unlawful imprisonment. He is being held at the Kent County Correctional Facility on $140,000 bail, according to reports from The Mirror.

How the investigation unfolded

The investigation began on May 12 after the teen reported being attacked near Rondo Street SE between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., according to Kentwood Police Department affidavits obtained by News Channel 3.

Surveillance footage released by police shows a dark-colored SUV pulling up alongside the girl before a man jumps out and runs toward her.

The girl told investigators the suspect grabbed her and said "I got you" before she fought him off and escaped.

Court records state the teen's resistance caused injuries to Moore before he fled back to his vehicle and drove away, according to WWMT.

Police later connected Moore to a second incident involving the 66-year-old woman near Poinsettia Avenue SE earlier that same evening. The woman told officers she was gardening outside her home when Moore approached her, made unwanted advances and assaulted her before leaving, according to KPD.

Investigators used surveillance footage, license plate readers, witness statements and identifying features to track down Moore within 24 hours, according to the court documents.

A history of prior offenses

Moore is not new to law enforcement attention. He had been placed on probation last summer after being accused of filming upskirt videos of women and grabbing female shoppers from behind at a grocery store, according to The Mirror.

Surveillance footage captured Moore crouching behind a woman in the store and covertly recording an upskirt video of her dress. The woman also discovered him in the bathroom, peering at her from the floor of an adjacent cubicle, according to the report.

About a year and a half later, he was caught using a ruse to grab women. He told them they had a spider on their backs. When he moved in to supposedly help remove it, he grabbed them, according to local news outlets.

Moore faces two probation violations in addition to the assault and unlawful imprisonment charges, according to The Mirror.

Defense claims substance abuse issues

Laura Jouce, Moore's public defender, described him as a "kind" and "gentle" person in court.

He's kind, and he's gentle, and he's patient, and I don't think these crimes are reflective of the person that he is. I think that he's had a reckoning while he's been in jail regarding some potential substance abuse issues that he has to handle.

Police ask public for information

Kentwood police say they do not currently know of any additional victims. Investigators are asking anyone with information or similar encounters to contact the department at (616) 656-6580.

Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area, or who is aware of similar unreported incidents, is encouraged to call KPD, according to WWMT.