Missing girl found in Santa Clarita garage of registered sex offender

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (KABC) -- A 26-year-old registered sex offender was arrested after sheriff's deputies found a missing teenage girl in his garage in Santa Clarita.

Sheriff's deputies say the suspect befriended the victim after she got off a bus outside an Albertsons in the 27000 block of W. Bouquet Canyon Rd in Saugus and the two exchanged phone numbers.

The girl's parents reported her missing at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday after she failed to come home.

As sheriff's deputies searched the community, investigators checked her phone records and called a recent number, which belonged to Dean Kaene.

"Deputies at the scene called this number, it was actually answered by the suspect in this case. He denied any knowledge of the victim or her whereabouts," said Sgt. Brian Hudson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's deputies then ran the suspect's name and discovered he was a registered sex offender on parole for burglary.

The sheriff's deputies then visited the suspect's home and were allowed inside by the suspect's parents. During their investigation, sheriff's deputies found the victim hiding inside the garage. The victim told sheriff's deputies she had been sexually assaulted.

Kaene was arrested and booked at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. He's being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Kaene is a registered sex offender due to a conviction for indecent exposure in Glendale.

Anyone with further information on this incident or who may have had contact with Kaene was asked to contact the Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273.