Mother of teen assaulted in San Antonio apartment elevator speaks out, urges parents to talk with their children about safety

The mother said her daughter is still trying to recover from the traumatic experience.

SAN ANTONIO — The mother of a 16-year-old girl who was assaulted inside an apartment elevator after leaving an Edison High School function last week is speaking publicly for the first time, hoping her family’s experience will encourage other parents to have important conversations about personal safety.

To protect the victim’s identity, KENS 5 is not identifying the family.

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The mother said her daughter is still trying to recover from the traumatic experience.

“Everybody’s asked me that, and I appreciate it because I know everybody’s concerned,” she said. “We have a lot of friends and family, we have a lot of support. But the best way I can describe it is, she’s coping.”

The teen lives at the Markson Apartments near the 500 block of Alametos, about a 12-minute walk from Edison High School. Her mother said the two regularly stay connected while her daughter walks home.

“I was on the phone with her on her walk home. Usually that’s what we do. We have Life360,” she said. “I was on the phone with her that morning until she reached the apartments. She was looking around. Did she know what she was looking for? No, because we didn’t expect this.”

According to the San Antonio Police Department, the suspect entered an elevator at the Markson Apartments around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday after the 16-year-old stepped inside. Investigators say the teen was assaulted but managed to escape when the elevator doors opened.

Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect. Police have since released surveillance images of the man they are trying to identify, and the department’s social media post has been shared hundreds of times.

When the mother first saw the suspect’s image, she said she was overcome with emotion.

“When I saw the image, I was just like, ‘How dare you. How dare you do this.'”

Now, she hopes other families will use her daughter’s experience as a reminder to talk with their children about staying alert.

“We have to make sure our children are always aware of their surroundings,” she said. “School’s starting. Predators are everywhere—even in the daytime, even early in the morning. If something doesn’t look right, call someone—your parent, mom, dad, brother or sister.”

Following the assault, San Antonio ISD sent a letter to parents saying it will increase patrols around Edison High School and the surrounding neighborhood as students return to campus.

The San Antonio Police Department’s Special Victims Unit continues to investigate. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP (7867).