Girl, 15, Left Dazed, Wandering After Assault

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The St. Petersburg Police Department is asking for help identifying a man its officers say is believed to have beaten and assaulted a teenage girl late last month. The girl was later found wandering in a street.

According to the agency, its officers first became aware of a problem with the 15-year-old girl around 12:48 a.m. May 27 when her mom called to report her as a runaway. The mother told officers she hadn’t seen her daughter since 8:50 p.m. May 26. Officers tried to locate the girl after receiving the mother’s call for help, but had no luck.

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At 4:26 a.m. May 27, police were called about an injured young woman who was “found dazed and walking on 22nd Avenue South near 12th Street,” a June 12 email from the police department said. Detectives determined the girl was the same one that had been reported as a runaway earlier that morning.

“She had been beaten and possibly sexually assaulted,” the email said. The teen was beaten so severely, injuries to her jaw and face prevented her from speaking with detectives.

“Three detectives have spent the last two weeks actively trying to retrace her steps and interviewing everyone she came in contact with that night,” the email said. They have tracked down surveillance video and some leads. DNA test results are still pending.

In the meantime, authorities have released a composite sketch of the suspect from a partial description the girl was eventually able to provide. Anyone who recognizes the man or has information about the attack is asked to call the police department at 727-893-7780.

No further information is available at this time.

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Sketch courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department