Missing girl found in garage of registered sex offender

A teenage girl was found in the garage of a convicted sex offender early Wednesday, hours after her parents reported her missing.

About 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, the parents of the girl -- whose identity was not released -- reported her missing, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

After sifting through the girl’s phone records, investigators found the phone number for Kaene Dean, 26.

In 2014, Dean was banned from the Glendale Galleria after being arrested on suspicion of inappropriately touching himself while at Macy’s, Glendale police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot said at the time.

Dean was convicted in Glendale in 2008 of committing lewd acts in public, and he is on parole for burglary, officials said.

On Tuesday evening, Dean denied knowing the location of the girl, sheriff’s officials said. But after deputies went to his home about 2 a.m., they found the girl in his garage.

The girl told investigators that she had met Dean on Monday at a Santa Clarita grocery store and that he had sexually assaulted her.

Dean is being held in lieu of $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday, according to jail records.

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Times staff writer Veronica Rocha contributed to this report.