DPD Says Teen Abducted, Sexually Abused After Getting Off School Bus
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DALLAS (CBS11) - Police want your help catching the man they say kidnapped a girl and sexually abused her. It happened on her way home from school Thursday right after she got off her school bus.
Investigators say the suspect grabbed the girl and then forced her to walk three blocks to Lake Cliff Park. Now people who live in the area are worried how something like this could happen in plain sight.
Police say the 14-year-old girl got off her school bus near a busy section of Eighth Street when a man wearing a ski mask grabbed her by the arm. The area also sees regular foot traffic from kids getting out of nearby Hector P. Garcia Middle School.
"It's frightening to know that that happened there close to my house and the schools and then where the children are, yeah it's pretty scary," Maicela Ocampo said.
Ocampo not only lives close to the spot where the kidnapper grabbed the girl, she and her children also frequent the park where he brought the victim. That's where investigators say the man sexually abused her before running off when he heard people approaching. Leon Nay, who lives next to the park, can't believe the kidnapper was able to get that far without anyone noticing.
"I was surprised that she hadn't screamed. She hadn't kicked up an emotion because there's a lot of traffic that runs on this street and the cross streets, so I'm kind of taken aback by the whole thing," Nay said.
Ocampo says she can only imagine the victim was too scared to call out for help. That's why she hopes this will be a wake up call for everyone in the area to be mindful of their surroundings, and if you see something, say something.
"It's surprising too why... I think there were some adults around there too, and they could have noticed. You know that she was being kidnapped or something like that," Ocampo said.
Police were only able to get a limited description of the suspect. A spokesperson for Dallas ISD could not verify whether the victim is a student there and tells us that because this happened off school property, they are relying on police to handle the investigation.
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