Crime & Safety
Video Captures Man Who Grabbed Girl; Suspect May Have Raped 15-Year-Old Last Month
Law enforcement officials think the suspect in Thursday's incident may be tied to two other cases, including a rape that occurred Jan. 31 in Bradenton.
A 12-year-old girl fended off a would-be sexual assault while she was walking home from school Thursday, and the suspect may be tied to two other local cases, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.
Bradenton police detectives are investigating a similar incident that occured Jan. 31 in which a 15-year-old girl was raped.
The sheriff's office released security camera footage of Thursday's incident.
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The suspect is described a black male possibly in his twenty's. He is described as being approximately 6'00 tall and weighing 200 lbs. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and black shorts at the time of the incident.
The girl was walking in the 5500 block of 26th Street West at about 4:20 p.m. Thursday when a man grabbed her from behind in the rear parking lot of a church, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
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The suspect picked the girl up and carried her to a low-hanging oak tree nearby, where he attempted to sexually assault her, the sheriff's office said. When the girl told him there were people in the area and that he better leave, he fled toward 28th Street West.
The girl went to the church to report the incident. Sheriff's deputies responded but could not locate the suspect, who is described as a black male, 30 to 40 years old, approximately 6 feet talll with a thin build. He was wearing a dark hoodie with black basketball shorts.
The sheriff's office also investigated another incident Nov. 29 in which a 15-year-old girl was grabbed from behind but resisted, forcing the suspect to flee.
In the Jan. 31 case, a suspect with a similar description grabbed a 15-year-old girl from behind while she was walking in the 4900 block of 47th Avenue West, threw her to the ground and sexually assaulted her, then fled.
The Gold Star Club of Manatee County is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in these cases. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.
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