Search for man who kidnapped, raped teen

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. Detectives say the young high-school student was walking to school at 5:30 a.m. in an alleyway near South Western Avenue and Park Western Drive when a man with a semi-automatic handgun drove up alongside her. The man first demanded money, then ordered her to get inside his vehicle.

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"[He] told her to lie down on the floorboard, covered her with some loose articles of clothing that may have been in the back seat of the vehicle, and then drove to this area in Redondo Beach," said LAPD Detective Gregory Stone.

Investigators say the student was bound with some type of packing tape and her eyes were covered. They say she was taken to an empty, unlocked garage on the 800 block of S. Catalina Avenue, where she was sexually assaulted.

Around 7:30 a.m. the suspect took off, leaving the girl tied up and blindfolded with her own sock. The girl managed to free herself and ran, seeking help from local residents.

Redondo Beach resident Jonathan Burdeshaw says the girl knocked on his door.

"I heard a frantic knock on the door, and I was looking out the window and didn't recognize the person. So it just didn't sound normal, so I didn't answer the door. Now I wish I did," said Burdeshaw.

A neighbor across the street from Burdeshaw helped the victim and called the police.

The tape and the victim's shoe, which she lost as she rushed through the apartment complex, will be analyzed by investigators. Detectives say the suspect wore pantyhose to disguise his face, but they're hoping clothing he left behind at the scene will help them track him down.

"I'd say this person is extremely dangerous and you know we're going to do everything within our power to make sure we bring this indivial to justice," said Det. Stone.

The suspect was described as a black man in his late 30s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and about 160-170 pounds. A description of the vehicle has not been released.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department at (877) 527-3247.

LAPD detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division are taking the lead in the investigation, with help from the Redondo Beach police.

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