PALM COAST, Fla. - 64-year-old Robert Goldstein was arrested on Monday for two felony offenses and one misdemeanor. He's accused of assaulting both a child and a healthcare worker, but it's not his alleged crimes that stand out, it's his reasoning. Goldstein is a resident of Palm Coast's P Section.
According to a report from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Goldstein told a detective that at least part of the reason he committed the crimes was what he described as 'sexual frustration'. As of Wednesday, Goldstein has not been charged with any sex crimes for the incidents.
The first instance happened on Friday, December 28th at the Walmart in Palm Coast. Goldstein is said to have approached an eleven-year-old girl who was shopping with her mother and run his hands from the top of her head down to her shoulders. The girl 'stared at him in shock', the FCSO says, and Goldstein is said to have made a run for the exit. Though surveillance images captured Goldstein's face clearly and the image was shared widely on social media, he was not identified until days later.
The second instance occurred at 10:30 am on New Year's Day, at the emergency room in an AdventHealth hospital in Palm Coast. Goldstein reportedly entered an area he wasn't supposed to be, and a hospital employee began ushering him back out to the waiting room. He allegedly grabbed her and pinned her against a wall and was physically combative with multiple other staff members who tried to intervene. He was arrested on-scene by FCSO deputies.
After his arrest for the alleged assault at AdventHealth and subsequent booking into the county jail, it was determined that Goldstein was also responsible for the incident at Walmart a few days prior. The FCSO says Goldstein is not a sex offender, and he has no prior criminal history in Flagler County before this past weekend. Still, the FCSO is encouraging those who may have other incidents with Goldstein to report them at (386) 313-4911 or tips@flaglersheriff.com.
