SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — A young girl is now recovering after being taken and sexually assaulted while walking to school in downtown San Jose.
It’s a nightmare scenario that all parents fear.
Police say a 15-year-old was walking to school in downtown San Jose when a registered sex offender pulled her into his vehicle.
Thankfully, she was let free – but the news struck fear in the community.
“That’s just heartbreaking,” Lisa Doyle said. “She shouldn’t have to, she’s going to be scared to walk to school for the rest of her life. And she should never have to feel that. And it’s horrible.”
Police have made an arrest in this case, thanks in part to license plate reader technology.
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The suspect faces sexual battery charges, but police aren’t releasing his identity until a later time.
Mayor Matt Mahan touts the department for the fast arrest, but feels for the unacceptable situation this young girl was in.
“As a father, as a parent, I can’t imagine the fear,” Mahan said. “And as I always say, it is important that the rest of the criminal justice system follows through.”
At a monthly meeting of the Community Advisory Committee Wednesday night, neighbors say that a member of the San Jose Police Department told them that the suspect of the sexual assault lives in the tiny homes along Branham Lane.
Doyle lives near the interim housing site.
She says the neighborhood has seen many issues from this site, including drug use, public intoxication and other dangerous acts.
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If the suspect in the sexual assault is in fact guilty, she says it highlights the need for change.
“It’s a no-barrier, low-barrier facility to give all these homeless people housing, which fine,” Doyle said. “But what about the people who have to deal with the problems of this?”
Mayor Mahan has said data shows crime improves in neighborhoods where tiny homes are located.
We asked him about the worry from neighbors.
“They say that this highlights some of the concerns that these people are being good neighbors?” ABC7 News reporter Dustin Dorsey asked.
“I don’t know that that’s been verified,” Mahan responded. “But I will tell you, wherever you live, whether it’s in a single family home, an apartment building, a tent encampment, or an interim site- you need to be accountable for following our laws. If you break our laws, there need to be consequences. There need to be interventions and accountability.”
To ensure the safety of the community and make sure this never happens again.
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