Police: Girl, 17, grabbed while waiting for bus near Marquette Park, sexually assaulted

Thursday, July 26, 2018
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police are warning residents on the city's Southwest Side of two men who grabbed a 17-year-old girl while she was waiting for the bus and sexually assaulted her.

She was abducted between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 7100-block of South Spaulding Avenue, just south of Marquette Park, police said.

The teen was standing at a bus stop when two men allegedly grabbed her and pushed her into a red SUV with tinted windows. Police said she was taken to the area of West 65th Street and South Bell Avenue in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood, where she was sexually assaulted.

The attack happened not far from Tarkington Elementary School.

"I come to this school and knowing that this happened, it just makes me feel, sometimes, insecure," said Eirka Guirre, 7th grader.

"It's, like, kind of scary because students are here," said Jacky Ugalde, 7th grader.

Although it's summer, some students are at Tarkington for other activities. Aguirre and Ugalde are taking Mexican dance classes.

"My mom drops me off here at 10 and then she waits for me here until I go in," Ugalde said.

Surveillance cameras dot the block, both at homes and at the school, but people said they feel safe in the neighborhood.

"I've never seen anything like that, and I've been living here for about 10 years. I have never seen or heard any stuff like that in this area. It's a very quiet neighborhood here," said resident Ana Ramirez.

The students said they are grateful their moms are watching them.

"She drops me off. She takes me all the way to the door and then she comes back. And when she picks us up, she goes all the way to the door and brings us over here," Aguirre said.

Police said the suspects were described as black men between the ages of 30 and 35 with brown eyes. One of the men was wearing a white baseball cap. One of the men had black hair and was wearing a black t-shirt.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should call Area Central detectives at 312-747-8380.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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