Suspect Sought in Kidnapping and Sexual Assault of 7-Year-Old Girl

Los Angeles police asked the public’s help Thursday in finding a man who kidnapped a 7-year-old girl playing on a San Fernando Valley street and sexually assaulted her.

The girl was reunited with her parents early Wednesday, about seven hours after the abduction in Winnetka. She had walked into a nearby bar, where patrons called police. Her hair was still wet from a shower she said she took with the man.

Investigators said the shower appeared to have been an attempt to erase evidence. They would not disclose the extent of the sexual attack, citing the girl’s age.

“It was more than fondling. That’s all we’re going to say,” said Capt. Joseph Curreri of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The LAPD began looking up registered sex offenders living in the area as soon as the girl disappeared, but the search yielded no suspects.

“We want anyone with information that could solve this case to call us,” Det. Jesse Alvarado said.

The man was described as Latino, 40 to 50 years old, about 5 feet 6, with a thin build and white or gray hair and mustache. He was wearing brown pants and a green shirt, spoke English with a Spanish accent, drove a newer-model black pickup with a gold-colored object hanging from the mirror and told the girl his first name was George.

The case is a strong reminder that parents “always should keep an eye on their kids,” Curreri said.

“We don’t know where he came from,” he added. “It could be he’s a stranger that lives many miles away. Or it could be he’s someone who lives locally. The little girl said he drove around looking for a place to drop her off that night. That suggests to me that he might not be familiar with the area.”

The girl was recovering at home.

“She apparently is doing as well as she could be, considering the circumstances,” said Kevin Maiberger, an LAPD spokesman.

The girl was playing alone at Sunny Brae Avenue and Michale Street near her home about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

“It’s a nice neighborhood. People feel safe there; kids go from house to house,” Alvarado said.

According to police, no one reported seeing the abductor snatch the blond, blue-eyed youngster, who is 3 1/2 feet tall and was wearing pink shorts and shirt. The man threw a large cloth over her and carried her to his pickup, then drove her to an apartment, where the assault took place.

Later that night he dropped her off near the Gold Cadillac Bar in the 21600 block of Roscoe Boulevard, about a mile from the kidnapping scene. She walked into the bar about 11:50 p.m.

Police ask that anyone with information call (213) 485-2921.