Police Go Door-To-Door In Search For Suspect In Child Abduction, Assault
HIGHLAND PARK (WWJ) - A door-to-door search is underway to find the person responsible for the abduction and sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl in Highland Park.
Members of a police task force, assisted by the FBI, knocked on doors on Church Street on Monday, looking for a suspect or information in the case.
The depressed neighborhood is scarred by vacant homes — one of which was the site of the reported rape.
According to police, the child was walking to a school bus stop when she was grabbed, Wednesday, Dec. 10, sometime between 7:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m., along Church St. in the area of McNichols and John R.
The girl told police the man forced her into a vacant home at gunpoint.
The suspect, seen a sketch released by police, is described as a dark-skinned back male around 6 feet tall and 160 to 170 lbs. — possibly in his mid-20s. He had "pitted skin" on his cheeks, a short goatee, dark eyes and a deep, raspy voice.
Candice Knox, who has children in Highland Park Schools, was volunteering for the charity program Toys for Tots on Church Street Monday.
She told WWJ's Sandra McNeil that this incident proves that it's simply not safe to let your kids walk anywhere on their own.
"In this time you can't, they can't. You know you pray and you hope that you'll make it safe, but you never know," Knox said.
"It's horrible; just having a daughter around that age it makes you afraid," she added, "to even let your children walk to school in this area or to the store. We have to do a better job as parents to watch our children."
The FBI is not commenting on the investigation.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact Highland Park Police or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. A reward of up to $1,000 is available from Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest in this case.