Police search for suspect, stolen car after girl, 12, abducted, sexually assaulted

Police search for suspect after girl abducted, sexually assaulted

A horrifying situation played out Friday night as police say a 12-year-old girl was abducted and sexually assaulted and an active search is underway by Philadelphia police for a suspect and a stolen car.

HUNTING PARK - Officials say a suspect search is on after a 12-year-old girl was abducted and sexually assaulted near Philly’s Hunting Park neighborhood.

What we know:

Friday night, about 9:30, Philadelphia police were called to an area near Germantown and Erie avenues on the report of an abduction in progress.

Police discovered that a 12-year-old girl was sleeping in the backseat of a 2010 white Ford Taurus, while the car was running and the keys were in the ignition. An unknown person got into the car and drove off.

According to authorities, just before 10 p.m., the girl was found at Broad Street and Roosevelt Boulevard. She had been sexually assaulted.

Police rushed her to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation.

What they're saying:

Leonard Greher is the assistant manager at the Domino’s on Broad Street in Hunting Park and saw the large police response.

"It was a lot of cops out here last night it was very busy," said Greher. "It’s wrong that somebody stole the car and assaulted her – that’s bad."

Dig deeper:

This is now the third time in three weeks a vehicle has been stolen in Philadelphia involving a parent leaving a child in a running car.

On May 7, an Amazon delivery driver’s vehicle was stolen with a two-year-old in the backseat. Police said the mother was delivering a package to a house in Oxford Circle.

On May 30 just after midnight, Philadelphia Police said a six-year-old boy was sleeping inside a Toyota Camry when it was stolen with the engine running at the "Save A Lot" parking lot in Germantown.

In both cases, police said the suspects abandoned the stolen vehicles and the children were unharmed.

"Parents need to be more aware of what they’re doing with their children," said Cindy Campbell of North Philly. "I had twins and I was a young mom and I still never left my kids in the car running. I had the key, and I woke them up and took the with me. I knew better than to leave my kids in the car running. Never." 

What's next:

Police are now looking for the suspect who’s described as a man with a thin build wearing all dark clothing. The stolen white Ford Taurus has also not been recovered.

One business is expecting detectives to stop by this weekend to pick up surveillance video that potentially shows the moment the vehicle was stolen with the 12-year-old inside.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Special Victim’s Unit at 215-685-3251.