Man who sexually assaulted 10-year-old Seattle girl got into home through open window

SEATTLE -- Police are searching for a man who sexually assaulted a child at gunpoint in her Rainier Beach home early Monday morning.

“He ran up to her with a gun," according to the brother of the girl. "He said, 'You better not tell anyone I was here, you better not do anything, you better not scream. If you do, I’ll shoot you.'”

The teenage boy didn't want to be identified, because he's concerned the man who assaulted his 10-year-old sister might come back. He broke into their home around 5 a.m.

“It was really hot, so we had our windows open," the boy said. "It wasn't open all the way, but it was open to the point he could get in.”

Police say the man sexually assaulted the girl, then stole some shoes and ran off. They searched the neighborhood but didn’t find him.



Detectives did, however, find evidence of what looked like attempts to break into other homes.

“The top part of this window was pulled out,” said neighbor Donna Flake, as she pointed to the screen on her bathroom window.

She’s terrified thinking her child could have been the one attacked, if someone had been able to get in her home.

“If someone snuck into my daughter's room, I would hope she would scream or make noise,” she said. “But that's so scary. It makes me want to cry now thinking about it, it's scary.”

She has a home alarm, but she doesn’t know if that’s enough anymore.

“It’s summertime, so you sleep with your windows open and fans on. But not anymore. I'm looking to get bars all the way around now.”

The victim’s brother says that’s what he would tell everyone in this neighborhood.

“Lock your windows, even if it's hot. Take the heat, because there are a lot of creepers that come through the window.”

It appears the suspect tried to steal the family’s TV, but wasn’t able to pick it up.

Detectives may be able to get some fingerprints from that, they said.

They’re also reviewing home security video from some neighbors, to see if the suspect was caught on camera.

Investigators said they believe he is a black man, 30 to 40 years old, possibly with mutton chop sideburns. He was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and black shorts.

Anyone who has information on this incident is asked to call 911.