ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Police here are seeking the public's help in locating a suspect who allegedly kidnapped a girl from her school bus stop and sexually assaulted her on Tuesday.
The girl was abducted while waiting for her bus at approximately 7:10 a.m., according to a news release from the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office. At around 7:55 a.m., the girl was returned to the scene.
Authorities told WFMY that the suspected kidnapper drove the girl, 11, near the Alamance/Orange County line and sexually assaulted her. The girl was then allowed to leave the car. She ran away and flagged down another car for help, the Sheriff’s Office told the news source.
A boy who was at the stop told officers that a man drove to the stop and took the girl, Times-News reports.
The girl was able to provide a description of the suspect, identifying him as a tall white man about 30 to 40 years old, with light facial hair and wearing dark pants (possibly jogging pants), a gray ribbed long sleeve shirt, brown boots, and a red ballcap, according to the news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
With the information gathered from the victim, witness, and citizens in the area, police received a description of the suspect vehicle: a blue-gray 1990s model Buick four-door vehicle with a skull/dragon rectangular sticker on the back window. The passenger side mirror on the vehicle is damaged or missing from the car. The Sheriff’s Office is asking citizens of Alamance and Orange counties to share any knowledge of the location of the car and suspect, and has posted on its Facebook page a photo of the model of car driven by the suspect, based on the description.
The Sheriff’s Office is offering a combined $5,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible for the crime.
A possible sighting of the suspect vehicle was reported shortly after the alleged assault occurred, according to WFMY.
Alamance-Burlington School System notified parents and students of the incident on its website, and reminded students to pay attention to their surroundings, walk with other students, wait in a group or with an adult whenever possible, and never accept a ride with a stranger. The district also stated on its website that it reviewed these safety procedures with students at school the day the incident occurred.
