Man Held in Assault on Retarded Girl, 12

An Arleta man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old mentally retarded girl abducted from an elementary school in Panorama City, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

Claro Antonio Novoa, 40, was arrested about 10 p.m. Tuesday after the girl, whose name was not released because of her age, was spotted riding in the passenger seat of his car in Panorama City, Sgt. Dennis Zine said.

The girl, who has the mental ability of a 5-year-old, told police that she was waiting outside the school for her father to pick her up about 2:30 p.m. when Novoa offered her a ride home, Zine said.

Instead, he took her to his house in Arleta and sexually assaulted her, Zine said.

Later in the evening, the girl’s stepmother saw Novoa and the girl cruise by her home. A police sergeant who was talking to the woman chased the car on foot and Novoa pulled over a few houses away.

Novoa told police that the girl was lost and said he was helping her find her way home, Zine said. He was being held on charges of lewd conduct with a child under 14 in lieu of $30,000 bail.