Manhunt launched after sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl by a man at knifepoint, $10,000 reward offered

New York police have launched a manhunt for a man who is suspected of tying up a boy and a girl in Queens Park on Thursday and sexually abusing one of them.

Accordingly CBS News, An unidentified man chased two 13-year-old children into the woods in Kissena Park in Queens on Thursday afternoon after the children had finished school for the day. He tied the teens, a boy and a girl, together with a shoelace and sexually assaulted the girl, police said.

The NYPD said in a press conference on Friday that the teenagers were threatened with “a large, machete-like knife.”

“The children were forced at knifepoint to follow him into a secluded area of the park, where he tied the boy and girl’s hands together with a shoelace. The perpetrator then sexually assaulted the 13-year-old girl,” said NYPD Criminal Investigation Chief Joseph Kenny.

“The perpetrator ordered both victims to wait at the crime scene for 20 minutes while he fled the scene on foot after stealing both children’s cell phones.”

When the victims returned to school, they told a school counselor about the incident, which sparked a manhunt for them.

“We will be sending a lot of officers to the area to help ease fears and keep an eye on the park,” said John Chell, chief of patrol for the NYPD.

Drones and cameras were deployed to increase security in the park. The NYPD also released sketches of the suspect.

WANTED🚨for sexual harassment i/o Kissena Park #Queens @NYPD109pct on 6/13/24 he displayed a knife and forced the 13-year-old victims into a wooded area, forcibly took both victims’ cell phones, and sexually assaulted the victim💰Reward up to $10,000 Do you know who he is? Call 1-800-577-TIPS pic.twitter.com/XbZtlaUvuz

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) June 15, 2024

The attacker is described as a light-skinned man in his twenties, with braces, curly hair and a strong Hispanic accent. He has a Tattoo of a bull or similar animal with red eyes and red horns on the left side of his chest.

Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information should contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip through the website or DM us on Twitter at @NYPDTips.

All calls are treated confidentially.

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(Cover image via NYPD)