The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has released a composite sketch of a man suspected of luring two underage girls into his vehicle in the North Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, following an alarming incident earlier this month.
The kidnapping took place on March 15 at around 5 p.m., when two girls — ages 11 and 16 — were walking near Sepulveda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street. According to LAPD’s Mission Division, an approximately 21- to 23-year-old Hispanic male driving a green, older model Honda Civic pulled up and offered the girls a ride. They declined.
The suspect didn’t give up. He approached the girls a second time near Nordhoff Street and Columbus Avenue, and this time the girls accepted the ride. Once inside the vehicle, things took a dangerous turn.
“During this encounter, the victims accepted the suspect’s offer for a ride,” police said in a news release. “After entering the vehicle, the victims provided their destination; however, the suspect drove past the intended route and continued eastbound on Nordhoff Street to the 8900 block of Lemona Avenue. At that location, the suspect locked the vehicle doors and parked.”
According to LAPD Detective Efren Gutierrez, the suspect drove to a secluded area near Sunburst Street and Lemona Avenue — a spot with little foot or vehicle traffic. Once parked, the suspect locked the doors and made lewd requests, offering the girls money, alcohol, and drugs, and exposing himself.
The girls screamed for help and tried to escape. “The girls were frightened,” Gutierrez said. “They were able to jump out of the car. The first girl jumped out while the car was stationary, and the second girl jumped out of the car while it was in motion.”
“As the victims attempted to escape, the suspect began to drive away,” investigators said. Both girls fell onto the roadway and sustained minor injuries before the suspect fled the scene.
The two girls later worked with detectives and a forensic sketch artist to produce the updated composite image now being shared with the public.
Detectives believe the suspect is a Hispanic male between 21 and 23 years old, with black hair, brown eyes, weighing approximately 200 pounds, and with tattoos on both arms. He was driving a green, older model four-door sedan. Police believe he may frequent these North Hills locations:
— Sepulveda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street
— Nordhoff Street and Columbus Avenue
— Sunburst Street and Lemona Avenue
— North Hills Park
Anyone with information is urged to contact Mission Area Detectives at (818) 838-9810, or the Mission Area Front Desk at (818) 838-9800. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 222-TIPS (8477). The suspect remains at large, and the investigation is ongoing.
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