Intruder Kidnaps Girl, 5; Assaults, Abandons Her

A 5-year-old Burbank girl was kidnaped from her bedroom, sexually assaulted and finally abandoned on a North Hollywood street Wednesday morning, police said.

The victim was asleep in her bedroom at her home in the 400 block of South Parish Place when the intruder forced open a window to the room, entered and took the girl, Sgt. Don Goldberg said. An 18-month-old brother who shared the bedroom was unharmed.

Detectives believe the abduction took place between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 1:10 a.m. Wednesday, when the girl was discovered missing by her parents who went to the bedroom after being awakened by their baby boy’s crying.

“Whoever was responsible for this was able to enter the home without alerting the parents,” Goldberg said. “The girl was not discovered missing until the parents heard her brother crying and went to investigate.”

About 15 minutes after Burbank police were called by the parents, Los Angeles police were called to a home in nearby North Hollywood where a young girl was reported to have been found abandoned.

Burbank police dispatchers, who monitor nearby Los Angeles police calls, sent officers to the house, and the girl was identified as the victim of the kidnaping.

“She was in a residential area and simply had gone up and knocked on a door,” Goldberg said. “She was distraught and crying.”

The girl was wearing only a pajama top when found. She was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank where it was determined that she had been sexually assaulted. She was later released to her parents.

Goldberg said the girl was able to provide detectives with some information about her assailant, but no arrest had been made.

“There is no indication at this time that the victim knew the kidnaper,” Goldberg said.