Volunteers and Detroit police comb east side for man wanted in attempted abduction, sexual assault of girl

DETROIT (FOX 2) - On Wednesday, Detroit police walked through a neighborhood on the city's east side where a 13-year-old girl was nearly abducted and sexually assaulted as she walked home from school.

The suspect, depicted in a sketch released by Detroit Police earlier this week, is described as a Black man in his 30s, standing 5 feet, 8 inches, weighing 150 pounds with bloodshot brown eyes. He has a medium brown complexion with a slim build and ungroomed black hair. The girl said he was wearing a dingy white T-shirt, dirty blue jeans, and had a foul body odor.

Christine Calhoun lives in the area and thinks that description from the girl will prove important to finding the man.

"He’s got a lot of distinguishing features like his ears," Calhoun said. "Just be more vigilant and watch my surroundings coming and going."

The girl was walking home from Castens Middle School on Dickerson Street near Jefferson when the man grabbed her by the hair, pulled her onto the porch of an abandoned home, and tried to kiss her. She said he was pulling her shirt up when her tablet suddenly started to ring and that scared the man off.

Myra Gracey runs the Detroit Police Citizens Patrol and thinks the entire city could benefit from the training they offer.

"When I hear things like that I wish we could have the whole city of Detroit out," she said. "We have a training program very similar to a Detroit police academy but on a milder level."

They're all volunteers and are on high alert while on patrol. George Preston is a retired Detroit Police Officer and monitors school routes in the city.

"We are looking for anything that's unusual, things that are out of the ordinary," Preston said. "We are doing all that we can to make this society better for the younger people. When I hear something like this happen it's sickening to see something like this happening."

Police said they're committed to tracking the guy down and are also searching out more volunteers to be part of the citizen's patrol. If you want to volunteer, contact Myra Gracey at  313-596-2520 or Graceym800@detroitmi.gov.