Police: Girl, 13, sexually assaulted in Little Village

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police are searching for a man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in the Little Village neighborhood Monday.

A man driving a light blue minivan grabbed the girl and forced her into the van at about 6:15 p.m. in the 2600-block of South Tripp Avenue, police said. The man then sexually assaulted her while the van was in an alley before pushing her out of the van and driving away.

The girl was treated at St. Anthony's, but police are still looking for the suspect and said they believe it may be someone from the neighborhood.

The suspect is described by police as a white man, 40-50 years old with light complexion, blue eyes, bald with a black-hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and black boots. Police said the suspect's light blue minivan and tinted rear windows.

Little Village is no stranger to violent crime, though mostly related to gang activity. Assaults are rare but do happen. It was just this past June when Jose Alvarez says his 13-year-old son was grabbed and nearly assaulted in the same vicinity where Monday's attack took place.

"He was crying. It was hard for me to understand what he was saying. And he said, 'Someone tried to rape me,'" Alvarez said.

That man was never found.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Area Central Bureau of Detectives at (312) 747-8380.