News crew covering sexual assault of 10-year-old girl spots suspect on Chicago street, calls police
CHICAGO (WGN-TV) — A news crew covering the ongoing search for a man suspected of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl spotted something unexpected Wednesday: the man himself.
Chicago police released surveillance images Tuesday night of a man suspected of approaching two girls, ages 7 and 10, as they sat on the porch of a home on the city’s Northwest Side Monday evening. Police say the man fondled the 10-year-old’s genitals before walking away.
Reporter Erik Runge and photojournalist Mike Hudak with NewsNation affiliate WGN-TV were covering the story Wednesday morning when they spotted a man who matched the police description, down to the purple-rimmed sunglasses he’s wearing in the surveillance images.
Approaching the man, Runge asked him: “Did you see a couple of girls Monday?” The man replied: “Maybe.”
Asked if he touched any of them, the man said he did not. Runge them showed him the photos released by Chicago police and asked if it was him.
“Yeah, that’s me,” the man replied.
The man told Runge he doesn’t live in the area, but works there. After Runge said he was going to call the police, the crew followed the man as he zig-zagged through the neighborhood until police arrived on the scene and arrested him.
There is no word yet on charges in the case.