FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 11/9/2009) A Memphis woman says a man tried to sexually assault her 13-year-old daughter while she was on her way to a friend's house.
It happened Friday near Castex and Val, not far from Riverside Middle School.
Tonight we've learned police have a "person of interest" in custody who may be responsible not just for this attack, but another one as well.
Christy Randle's 13-year-old daughter, Alexus, is a student at Riverside Middle. She told police a man in a champagne-colored Malibu approached her.
"The man pulled up and asked her could she go in the store for him? She said, 'Do you know my momma?' He said 'I know your momma and your whole family.' And he snatched her and put her in the car," said Randle.
"He tried to get her down between her legs but he couldn't. And he was just holding her, told her he'd hit her," she added.
Her daughter has cerebral palsy, but her mom says she's quite strong for her age and wasn't afraid to fight back.
We asked the teen how she got away, she responded "I choked him."
"She choked him and she choked him and she wouldn't stop choking him and he let her go," said Randle.
The 13-year-old told police her attacker pushed her out of the car. She ran to a neighbor's house for help.
"First thing that went through my mind was did he rape me daughter? And the second thing, if I could find him, to be honest with you, I was gonna kill him," said Randle.
Her family says they've heard of other recent attacks on young girls in this same neighborhood.
"It's just crazy out here now, it's just crazy," said her uncle, Mario Sledge.
Meanwhile, her mom worries how this will affect her daughter. She's all smiles right now, but behind closed doors..
"It's hard, I really don't know what to say," said Randle. "I'm trying to ask her how she feels, right now she doesn't like sleeping by herself and when she does go to sleep, she wants to have the lights on."
WREG has learned police have a 29-year-old person of interest in custody. They say he may be tied to other similar crimes as well. Formal charges could come as early as Tuesday. Stay tuned to WREG for the latest developments.
- Suspect approached girl as she was walking to friend's house
- Victim has cerebral palsy
- Police have "person of interest" in custody
(Memphis 11/9/2009) A Memphis woman says a man tried to sexually assault her 13-year-old daughter while she was on her way to a friend's house.
It happened Friday near Castex and Val, not far from Riverside Middle School.
Tonight we've learned police have a "person of interest" in custody who may be responsible not just for this attack, but another one as well.
Christy Randle's 13-year-old daughter, Alexus, is a student at Riverside Middle. She told police a man in a champagne-colored Malibu approached her.
"The man pulled up and asked her could she go in the store for him? She said, 'Do you know my momma?' He said 'I know your momma and your whole family.' And he snatched her and put her in the car," said Randle.
"He tried to get her down between her legs but he couldn't. And he was just holding her, told her he'd hit her," she added.
Her daughter has cerebral palsy, but her mom says she's quite strong for her age and wasn't afraid to fight back.
We asked the teen how she got away, she responded "I choked him."
"She choked him and she choked him and she wouldn't stop choking him and he let her go," said Randle.
The 13-year-old told police her attacker pushed her out of the car. She ran to a neighbor's house for help.
"First thing that went through my mind was did he rape me daughter? And the second thing, if I could find him, to be honest with you, I was gonna kill him," said Randle.
Her family says they've heard of other recent attacks on young girls in this same neighborhood.
"It's just crazy out here now, it's just crazy," said her uncle, Mario Sledge.
Meanwhile, her mom worries how this will affect her daughter. She's all smiles right now, but behind closed doors..
"It's hard, I really don't know what to say," said Randle. "I'm trying to ask her how she feels, right now she doesn't like sleeping by herself and when she does go to sleep, she wants to have the lights on."
WREG has learned police have a 29-year-old person of interest in custody. They say he may be tied to other similar crimes as well. Formal charges could come as early as Tuesday. Stay tuned to WREG for the latest developments.
