A 47-year-old man is in custody accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl in St. Paul last night.
The girl’s father says she was out of his sight for a minute when she went missing. A little less than two hours later, thanks to witness descriptions and surveillance cameras, police located the girl in the suspect’s apartment. Spokesman Steve Linder says “initially the suspect didn’t answer, so in an effort to find the girl as quickly as possible, officers began taking the door off the hinges.” At that point the suspect opened the door and officers saw the girl in his room.
Linder says says the girl is doing okay. Charges against the suspect are pending.