Local News in Brief : Rape Suspect Questioned

A man tattooed with satanic symbols and booked on suspicion of raping and trying to strangle a 3-year-old girl was questioned Monday about child molestation cases in at least four states, Los Angeles police said.

Dell Jay McCuistian, 22, allegedly lured the young girl from a party at a Koreatown restaurant Sunday afternoon and took her to the laundry room of a nearby apartment building, where he raped her, Sgt. Howard Silverstein said. Residents who heard her screams rescued the girl.

McCuistian, who served prison time for burglary and grand larceny in Oklahoma, was found by police about 30 minutes later, hiding in bushes about a block away. The girl was in stable condition at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles.

Officers said McCuistian has a pentagram--a symbol used by satanic cults--tattooed on his hand and some 10 other satanic tattoos on his body. During questioning, he told police he had molested girls and boys under 10 years old in the Hollywood, Wilshire and Anaheim areas, and in Texas, North Carolina and Oklahoma, Sgt. Alan Pesanti said.