11-year-old girl pulled into South Side alley, sexually abused on way home from school, police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police are searching for the man who dragged an 11-year-old girl into an alley and sexually abused her on the city's South Side Thursday afternoon.

According to a community alert issued by police, the suspect approached the girl from behind while she was walking home from school around 3:30 p.m. in the 6200-block of S. Indiana.

Police said the man put his hand over her mouth and pulled her into a secluded part of an alley, where he sexually abused her. The girl was able to break free and ran away, police said. The man fled in another direction.

The suspect is described by police as a Black man between 45-60 years old, between 5'8" and 5'10," with a thin build, graying hair and a mustache or goatee. He was wearing a black shirt that had a rip on the right sleeve, black jeans with a silver belt buckle and beat-up black work boots.

Police said children should walk in pairs or small groups, and any suspicious persons or activity should be reported to 911 immediately.

"Nowadays, you can't allow your kids to walk anywhere alone," said Kenya Jelks, whose family lives nearby. "That's really scary and I pray that she gets therapy that she needs and no more walking home alone. This is a warning for all of us."

Anyone with information is asked to contact CPD's Special Investigation Unit at 312-492-3810. Anonymous tips an also be submitted via CPDTIP.com.

"It's not like back in the day where kids even go play basketball, walk home from after school programs. It's scary and I hope that they catch whoever did this and people who are thinking of doing things like that, because a child just cannot be a child anymore. Our childhood is just ruined," Jelks said.