Some neighbors in Philadelphia's Germantown section are on edge after police say a 12-year-old girl was sexually assaulted while waiting at her bus stop.
Police are now searching for the person who attacked her.
Investigators say the attack was reported to have happened on the 1100 block of East Price Street early Tuesday morning. Police say the victim says a man wearing a ski mask approached her with a gun, threatened her and then pulled her into an alley between Price and Stafford streets and assaulted her.
The girl went home to tell her parents and that's when police say they got the call.
"Right now, to hear that being that this is a neighborhood that is populated with a lot of young females, it's very upsetting," Ricardo Goodman told FOX 29's Dave Kinchen. Goodman lives on the block where the alleged assault took place.
Goodman says he has a daughter who takes the bus early in the morning. The assault will have him keep a closer eye on his daughters, he said.
Police say they are studying surveillance video in the area for any leads on the suspect.
Sources tell FOX 29 News that a girl was waiting for a bus to take her to Imani Education Circle Charter School.
In a statement issued by the charter school and obtained by FOX 29, school officials said their "board, administration, and staff ... are deeply saddened by the report of the assault of one of our students."
"We are committed to working with law enforcement to the fullest capacity until we are able to bring the perpetrator to justice," the school's statement read. "Although we have made every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of our students on the grounds of our school and within our school facility, crimes can and do occur outside of any school's property. We have long been a partner to this community and we remain committed to working with our neighbors to all do our part to keep children safe. Our sincerest prayers go out on behalf our student and the family."
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Police say the victim was forced into an alley between Price and Stafford streets, where she was assaulted.
