Police Continue Search for Kidnapper Who Assaulted 9-year-old, Then Dumped Her

Riverside Police are looking through security surveillance footage in hopes of identifying a suspect in the abduction of a 9-year-old girl taken from her home as she slept.

During a Tuesday morning news briefing, Riverside Police investigators said they were examining security video captured between 11 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday in the area where the child was kidnapped.

The girl was forcibly taken as she slept with an older brother and younger sister in an apartment in the area of Pike Street and Herman Drive, said Riverside Police Sgt. Wayne Ramaekers. She was assaulted and later dumped out of a car several miles away, Riverside Police said.

At last report, the youngster remained at the pediatric ward of Loma Linda University Medical Center in serious but stable condition.

Detective Roberta Hopewell told reporters the man who snatched the child has not been identified, though a blue or black pickup truck seen in the vicinity around the time of the abduction may be connected to the crime.

She said solving the case was a "top priority."

The child's mother -- a single parent -- was at work and had left the boy in charge of watching his sisters.

The suspect entered the apartment through an unlocked window, Ramaekers said. The other two youngsters were not harmed during the kidnapping.

The sergeant would not disclose what happened to the 9-year-old or the nature of her injuries. She was never reported missing.

People living on Giles Court, adjacent to the La Sierra University campus, about 2 1/2 miles from where the abduction occurred, were awakened by the child who began knocking on doors, asking for help, according to Ramaekers.

The disoriented girl told officers she had been carried out of her home by a man, apparently a stranger. She said she was later pushed out of a car.

 "I would tell people the same thing I tell them every day: You need to keep your doors and windows locked and be vigilant, know what's going on in the neighborhood,'' Hopewell told reporters.

Investigators said they believe this to be an isolated incident. Detectives have submitted forensic evidence to local labs for analysis, officials said.

So far, no charges have been brought against the mother for leaving the children alone in the home. The victim’s siblings are staying with relatives at an undisclosed location, officials said.

Anyone with information about the crime was urged to call Detective Robert Hopewell at (951) 353-7124.

City News Service Contributed to this report.