The family of an 11-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on her way home from school in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood last week is clashing with police over whether or not a possible suspect should be in custody and face charges. Lisa Chavarria has more.
The family of an 11-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on her way home from school in Chicago's Washington Park neighborhood last week is clashing with police over whether or not a possible suspect should be in custody and face charges.
According to officials, the girl, a 6th grader at Dulles Elementary, was grabbed and sexually assaulted in an alley Thursday in the 6200 block of S. Indiana Avenue as she walked home from school.
Lissy Wakefield, the girl's mother, told NBC 5 that community members identified a man who matched the description Wakefield gave to officials following the assault. According to Wakefield, on Monday, those community members apparently held the man until police arrived on the scene, and he was taken to a local hospital. She says her daughter identified the man as police arrived.
“My daughter identified him. It is 100 percent him," Wakefield said. "The same man who was taking her clothes off. Who laid her on the ground…smelling her neck. That is him."
However, Chicago police are not confirming the family's account.
Officials told NBC 5 that no one is currently in custody, and said that no individual had been questioned in the case. Police did not provide any other details about Monday's incident.
Tuesday, Wakefield and other family members held a press conference in front of Chicago Police headquarters, demanding that the suspect community members identified on Monday be held without bail.
Local
"According to the mother of the victim, a Chicago police detective told her the accused was released without charge, pending further investigation," a media release about the press conference said.
A $4,000 reward organized by community activists is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
