Watch CBS News

Search Continues For Suspect In Alleged Attack Of 10-Year-Old Girl In Brooklyn

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for a man who they said attacked a Brooklyn girl on the street and then dragged her up the stairs of a housing complex.

Police have been going door to door in a Canarsie public housing building tracing the tracks of a possible sexual predator.

The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. Thursday when a 10-year-old girl was on her way to school.

The girl said she was forced inside a building and up to a secluded area near the rooftop. Police believe the attack was carried out on an upper stairwell, leading to the roof of the seven-story public housing building.

Romaine Campbell lives on the seventh floor, steps away from the stairwell where the girl was allegedly attacked.

"I guess a little girl screaming that someone was going to rape her," said Campbell.

Sources tell CBS 2 the suspect asked her "do you kiss" or "have you ever been kissed" and when the child resisted, he beat her in the head with a man's shoe.

"We have a lot of children in this building, a lot," said resident Sheila McDuffie. "They go out to school early in the morning."

Investigators said the girl lives in another building. Witnesses said it was the girl's screams that likely scared the suspect off.

"We all heard the screaming because it was like loud banging on the door," said Campbell.

She was able to run down the steps, yelling and banging on doors for help. A resident nursed the girl's head injury and called 911.

Police are still searching for the suspect, who is described as a 6-foot black male, either in his mid-teens or early to mid-20s wearing a black shirt and black jeans.

The 10-year-old was taken to Kings County Hospital. She received some stitches and was last listed in stable condition.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.