Riverside Neighborhood On High Alert After Man Raped 11-Year-Old Girl Behind Church

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) —  Residents in a Riverside neighborhood are on high alert after a man kidnapped and raped a girl outside a church, police said.

The attack happened  about2:30 p.m. Sunday behind the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 5900 Grand Ave.

Detectives said a man pulled an 11-year-old girl into an enclosed dumpster area and sexually assaulted her, according to Public Information Officer Ryan Railsback of the Riverside Police Department.

The victim was able to get away from her attacker and called for help, Railsback said.

Church volunteers told CBS2's Tina Patel that a few people were inside the church that afternoon, but no one saw or heard anything.

Police said they did not know what the girl was doing behind the church before she was assaulted. "I don't know if she wandered off from her neighborhood, was going over there for any particular reason, other than just a walk or just kind of play by herself," said Railsback.

A representative said there were no security cameras behind the church.

The suspect was described as a dark-skinned Hispanic male, about 50, with a goatee and short, dark, messy hair.

He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with vertical gray stripes and may have a tattoo on one arm.

Detectives were able to develop a composite sketch of the rapist with the victim's help. They said he may have been a transient.

Anyone who recognizes the attacker is urged to contact Detective Paul Miranda at (951) 353-7945 or pmiranda@riversideca.gov.