Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 20 February 2018
NYPD Special Victims hunting for child rapist Wildfire forces

people to flee
By COLLEEN LONG askew.
NEW YORK (AP) — The She had a hard time ex- rural California
12-year-old girl was in her plaining the attack to po-
school uniform, wearing lice. BISHOP, Calif. (AP) — A
pigtails. She clutched her "She had to describe things wind-driven wildfire in rural
princess lunch box as she that happened to her that central California forced
got off the Bronx bus after she didn't even have the mandatory evacuations
tutoring, and that's when vocabulary for," Crowley and threatened hundreds
the rapist grabbed her by said. "She'd never seen a of buildings Monday, in-
the arm. male body before." cluding a historic railroad
"If you scream, I'm gonna She was on the BX 19 bus station, after it tripled in size
kill you," he said, accord- to East Tremont, where she overnight, officials said.
ing to police. The stranger transfers to another bus The blaze scorched 3½
dragged her roughly, turn- to go home. She said he square miles (9 square kilo-
ing down an alley where grabbed her when she got meters) of chaparral bush
he brutally attacked her. off, then walked her into and shrub oak in the small
The crime took place on an alley at 2064 Daley Av- town of Bishop on the east-
Feb. 24, 2015. And, despite enue, the first building off ern slopes of the Sierra Ne-
DNA evidence and surveil- 179th Street. vada that is popular for hik-
lance footage of the at- The alley is sunken — not ing, fishing, climbing and
tack, no arrests have been something easily seen from hunting. Firefighters made
made. As the anniversary the street, but there’s turf some gains against the
nears, the Special Victims covering one of the walls. flames, which they found
Division detective on the After the attack, she ran had burned a slightly small-
case is pleading for anyone and called her mother and er area after doing more
with information to send a they went to the hospital, accurate mapping.
tip through the CrimeStop- which collected forensic It comes as California has
pers website or call the ho- evidence. Crowley set to seen some record-high
tline. work. It took police days temperatures and little rain
"She was just a baby," said to find the crime location after emerging from a five-
Det. Diane Crowley. "This is because the little girl didn’t year drought, helping fuel
the worst of the worst." know where she was. some of the deadliest and
Surveillance footage shows They followed up on hun- most destructive wildfires in
a young man in tan car- dreds of leads, talked to state history late last year.
go pants, wearing a blue any gang members in the U.S. drought monitors this
jacket with a hood and a possibility it was some sort month declared parts of
hat. His face is blurry, but of initiation. They combed Southern California back in
it's not impossible to recog- through bus footage. The severe drought.
nize. Part of the problem, victim didn’t remember In the most recent fire,
Crowley thinks, is the sus- seeing him at school, but it several communities and
pect was also young, prob- looked like he might have campgrounds in the Pleas-
ably 14 to 16 years old. She This image taken from a Feb. 24, 2015 surveillance video and also have been wearing a ant Valley Reservoir area
thinks people are afraid of provided on Feb. 17, 2018 by the New York City Police Depart- uniform. “I think most sex were ordered to leave
being wrong and turning in ment, shows a man being sought by the NYPD in connection crimes are about opportu- and persistent winds were
an innocent kid. with a rape three years ago. New York detectives are again nity. She happened to be expected to pose a chal-
"Obviously with the forensic asking for help in solving the 2015 rape of a 12-year-old school an easy target,” Crowley lenge, said Cathey Mat-
evidence, there's no way girl who was brutally attacked in the Bronx. (NYPD via AP) said. “But when you find a tingly, spokeswoman for
the wrong kid will go to jail 12 year old and you saw the California Department
for this," she said. "I just think something." case. She said when she I’m going to kill you ... it’s a of Forestry and Fire Protec-
after three years, you told There's a reward of more arrived to the hospital, the real cowardly attack,” she tion.
somebody, you told part than $22,000 for any tips little girl in a bed, still in her said. “I would love nothing It's not clear how many
of it to somebody. A mom leading to an arrest. uniform, but it was ripped more than to bring her and people had to evacu-
saw it. Someone knows Crowley is haunted by the and dirty. Her glasses were her family justice.”q ate after the blaze started
Sunday, Inyo County sher-
NYC: iff's spokeswoman Carma
Rape case prompts calls to close police loophole Roper said. But at least
500 structures were threat-
ened, including the Laws

By DAVID KLEPPER Then, investigators say, apparent loophole in the said of when she learned of Railroad Museum, a rail-
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The detectives Eddie Martins laws of New York and many the oversight. "It should be road station built in the
1880s, Mattingly said.
18-year-old woman was and Richard Hall repeat- other states that may allow clear across the state for
driving with two friends near edly sexually assaulted her police to escape sexual officers from every depart- "We had pretty heavy wind
activity overnight and we
Coney Island in September before releasing her. The assault charges by claim- ment, that when someone
when the two plainclothes woman went to the hospi- ing sex acts were consen- is in custody they do not are expecting more windy
conditions today," Matting-
detectives pulled her over tal, where prosecutors say sual. While New York law al- have the ability to consent
and found marijuana. The DNA was obtained that ready bars sexual contact to sexual activity." That total ly said. "That is hampering
firefighting efforts." The fire
officers released the two matched both men. between corrections work- didn’t even include New
male passengers, hand- But the officers have plead- ers and inmates, it doesn't York or California because broke out shortly Sunday
afternoon near the Pleas-
cuffed the woman and ed not guilty to rape and apply explicitly to police. those states didn’t track
told her she was under ar- other charges, and the "I was shocked," Democrat- the number of officers fired ant Valley Reservoir and
quickly grew to 900 acres.
rest, prosecutors say. case has highlighted an ic state Sen. Diane Savino for such offenses. q
q