EASTPOINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Eastpointe police are investigating after they say a child was taken into a home and sexually assaulted on Monday.
According to police, the 12-year-old victim was walking in the area of 14000 Cresentwood in the morning of Sept. 22 when the suspect approached her and took her into his home.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Classes at Eastpointe schools were canceled for professional development day and the girl's parent's were at work.
The 52-year-old suspect, police say, is a registered sex offender.
Police say the child was sexually assaulted and then released.
Watch the press conference with police in the video player below:
We’re told the child went to a neighbor for help.
"It is extremely disturbing. I mean, the fact that... we have a young girl that's walking on the sidewalk and gets approached. And then goes through the traumatic experience that she had to go through," Eastpointe Police Chief Corey Haines said.
According to officials, the suspect was arrested the day after the incident in New York and is waiting for extradition. The suspect has not yet been arraigned on charges in the case.
"It wasn't fair to her at all. She's a bright young girl who has a good head on her shoulders and now she has this drama to live with because of him," Ashley Kolakowski said.
Kolakowski says the girl told her what happened after the suspect let her go. Kolakowski alerted the girl's mother who then informed police.
Officers conducted a search warrant at the home and believe there could be other victims.
"I won't get into specifics, but there was other items recovered that could lead to further investigation into the potential of more victims," Haines said.
Kolakowski said "they had found younger kids under garments all the way up to teenagers. It was not a pretty sight watching them raid the house. It was heartbreaking."
The suspect fled the area after the assault. Police believe he may have been tipped off.
Eastpointe police, with the help of Detroit and New York State Police, tracked the suspect to an area about a half hour south of Buffalo, New York where U.S. Marshals took him into custody Tuesday.
Police are not naming the suspect but according to court documents, he's charged with several crimes including two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.
"Up on the balcony, he would constantly watch the kids play. He would sit up there creepily," Kolakowski said. "Watching the kids. Every movement they made, he followed."
The suspect is on the state sex offender registry convicted of immoral and indecent acts in Wyoming in 1997.
We spoke with the victim with her parents' permission. She's relieved the suspect is off the street and proud that she was brave enough to speak up.
"How creepy he was, how uncomfortable he made kids feel on this block. People noticed him taking videos of us," the victim said. "I'm glad i stopped him or else other people would've got the same thing done to them."
"Be very vigilant, know what's going on around you. If something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't, and you need to either get a hold of an adult, get a hold of ... the law enforcement, whatever you need to do to get yourself to safety," Haines said.
