Man in custody after police say he snatched girl from Park Bench in South Shore
CHICAGO (CBS) – Police late Thursday arrested a man suspected of snatching a 7-year-old girl in South Shore.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported Thursday night, the little girl was taken to the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital to get checked out. While she didn't have any outer or visible scars or injuries, investigators and doctors needed to make sure the girl was OK overall.
Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said Friday that the 7-year-old girl was sitting on a park bench late Thursday with her two 13-year-old brothers. The two brothers walked away for a moment when a 23-year-old man came by and grabbed her.
Someone called police at 5:37 p.m. Thursday after witnessing the girl with the man and observing that the girl was in distress, Deenihan said.
When officers arrived, a man fitting the description police were given was spotted on a second-floor balcony in the 7600 block of South Coles Avenue. As officers got closer, they noticed the man was engaging in what police called an "indecent act" in front of the little girl.
It is not clear whether the child was on the balcony with the man at the time, or how the man got a hold of the child.
Police arrested the man immediately and brought the girl to the hospital to get checked out.
Area Two detectives are investigating and were talking to the girl late Thursday.
