Skip navigation
Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism University of Southern California
Top Stories

UPDATE: Search for Suspects in Northridge Abduction Case

Police continue the search for two suspects in the abduction case of a Northridge girl. 

UPDATE| March 29, 2013 9:55 A.M. PST:

Police told the Los Angeles Times Thursday that the 10-year-old girl who went missing early Wednesday morning was sexually assaulted. In a press conference Thursday, Commander Andy Smith of the Los Angeles Police Department described the girl as having a "traumatic experience."

UPDATE| March 28, 2013 2:32 P.M. PST:

The LAPD has fanned out across the San Fernando Valley searching for two male suspects who are believed to be strangers to the 10-year-old victim, the department announced in a press conference Thursday.

The girl was interviewed by police and described one of the men as around 18-years-old. The girl said she was held in two different locations, an abandoned home and a storage facility. She said she was driven in two different cars.

Police have searched both locations and have seized one car, a black pickup truck.

ORIGINAL STORY|March 28, 2013 8:24 A.M. PST:

Police are searching for two male suspects in connection with the kidnapping of a Northridge 10-year-old girl. The girl went missing from her bedroom during the middle of the night Wednesday, but she was found six miles away from her home almost twelve hours later. 

The girl was recognized by someone around 3 p.m. Wednesday in Canoga Park. Once she was identified, the girl was brought over to nearby police.

According to LAPD's Capt. Kris Pitcher, the girl was dropped off at the location by an unknown suspect. He said the girl suffered "facial bruising and lacerations." 

"We don't know who she was dropped off by. That's under investigation now," Pitcher said. 

The girl was able to tell police only some information about her kidnapping. But, she was able to communicate that she was held captive first in an abandoned home near her own house. She said she was moved to a storage facility, and then finally dropped off at a Kaiser hospital. Police say they have not figured out why this girl was targeted. 

The Northridge girl told officials that she did not know either of two suspects, but she described one as being an 18-year-old man.

Capt. William Hayes of the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division said Wednesday evening that finding the suspects is a priority. "If these individuals are brazen enough to do that, I'm putting all the resources I have to make sure they don't do it again," Hayes said. 

Police searched for two different vehicles; they said one has been taken into custody. The Los Angeles Times reported that the seized vehicle is a black pick up truck. 

The 10-year-old was reported missing by her mother around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. According to police, the mother awoke to some noise around that time and checked on her daughter. When she walked into the room, the girl was missing and nowhere to be found in the house. 

LAPD will continue their search for the suspects on Thursday. 

COMMENTS
Leave a comment
Name:
E-mail:*
URL:
Comments:*

We've Moved!


By Sam Bergum
01/21/16 | 11:09 a.m. PST

Visit us at uscannenbergmedia.com!

USC Basketball Knocks Off Rival UCLA 89- 75


By Scott Cook
01/14/16 | 12:05 a.m. PST

USC defeats UCLA with stellar play from their Freshmen. 

Holiday Bowl - USC vs Wisconsin Post-Game Press Conference

Su'a Cravens: "It's the players that need to step up"

Darreus Rogers: "It comes down to the players"

Trojans Fall to Wisconsin in the Holiday Bowl 23-21

We detected that you might be on a mobile device such as an iPad or iPhone. Sorry, at this time the video box is only visible on desktop computers.