Man Held in Rape of Teen-Ager Who Was Fleeing Abductors

A 15-year-old girl who was kidnaped and repeatedly raped while being held captive for a week in a South-Central Los Angeles house managed to get away early Saturday--only to be raped again by a man who was in a car she had flagged down while seeking help, authorities said.

The Thousand Oaks teen-ager was finally rescued about 2 a.m., and one of her alleged attackers was arrested by two park rangers in Rose Hill Park northeast of downtown, Los Angeles police said. The girl was treated at White Memorial Hospital and released to her parents, who had reported her missing a week ago.

Antonio Diaz, 18, of Los Angeles, who police said was one of three men in a car the victim had flagged down after escaping from the house, was arrested on suspicion of rape and was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail, authorities said.

Police made no other arrests and had not found the house where the victim had been held, though investigators believe they know the area where it is located, Detective Ben Lovato said.

Detectives re-interviewed the emotionally distressed girl Saturday afternoon and were hoping to use the information to find the house and her attackers. Police said the girl might accompany detectives on a search of the area.

The victim’s ordeal began April 16 at the Greyhound Bus Terminal downtown, police said. She had taken a bus from Ontario, where she was visiting some friends, to the station and was waiting to catch another bus home when two men approached her, police said.

“She was waiting there and they abducted her at knifepoint,” Lovato said. “They took her to the house.”

The girl told police she was held in a locked room at the South Los Angeles house for six days and repeatedly assaulted by the men, and possibly others, before escaping shortly after midnight Friday when she was able to talk one of her captors into letting her go out the back door of the house.

After she ran from the house, she flagged down a car nearby with three men in it, including Diaz, police said. It is believed that the three men had nothing to do with her abductors, police said.

“It’s two tragic and very sad incidents that are not connected,” Lt. Sergio Robleto said.

Police said the girl was taken to Rose Hill Park, where she was allegedly attacked by Diaz. When two rangers on patrol entered the park, she managed to break away and run to them, police said. Diaz was arrested. The two other men were held for questioning but released, Lovato said.