The alleged incident happened at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday near Phoenix Avenue and Ensenada Way. The 15-year-old says a van pulled in front of her, three men jumped out, grabbed her and pulled her into the back of the vehicle.
The girl was strong enough to fight off her attackers and escape. Police say the victim's actions prevented the case from becoming a sexual assault.
"Our victim fought - punching, kicking, screaming, and was finally able to get away from the suspects and then she took off running. I believe had she not fought, there would probably be a very different outcome," said Riverside police Lt. Guy Toussaint.
The suspects were last seen driving northbound on Phoenix Avenue toward Central Avenue. The girl described the vehicle as an older model navy blue van with faded paint spots on the passenger side. It had tinted back windows and no side windows or side doors. The car did have back doors leading to the cargo portion of the vehicle.
Investigators are still searching for the three suspects. One suspect is described as approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, clean shaven with dark hair. He has a scar that extends from his lower lip to the left of his chin, and he was last seen wearing a red short-sleeve T-shirt and blue pants.
Another suspect was described as having dark hair with facial hair. There were no specific descriptions of the third suspect. All of the suspects were believed to be between 30 and 40 years old and spoke both English and Spanish.
Police released a sketch of one of the suspects. The girl said he's the one who grabbed her and spoke to her.If you have any information regarding this case, you're asked to call the Riverside Police Department at (951) 353-7120.
