Germantown police are looking for a suspect after a 16-year-old girl claimed she was sexually assaulted on a neighborhood playground.
It happened Sunday night near Brookside Circle on Germantown’s west side.
Behind dense woods sits a playground inside a neighborhood filled with new homes. A teen told police she was there alone the night of Easter when a stranger approached, sexually assaulted her and ran away.
“It makes me feel unsafe around here because that’s not something that has happened around here before,” said neighbor Taylor Colby.
Colby has a view of the playground from her backyard. She found out soon after from a knock on her door.
“The cops came, it was two (officers) and they were asking if we heard any noises coming from back there,” Colby said.
Colby said she was inside her home at the time of the alleged assault and didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. Germantown Police Captain Mike Snow said officers canvassed the neighborhood after they were called by the victim. No one else had clues for them either.
“We’re just raising awareness to see if someone can provide information about anybody that was observed in that area at that time,” Snow said.
Back in the neighborhood, residents said they’re shocked as word of the incident begins to spread. Colby said it’s an area where dozens of kids come to play.
“Especially on this block,” she said. “Every house pretty much has kids.”
Police are sending extra patrols to the neighborhood for the time being. Investigators told TODAY’S TMJ4 efforts have been made to collect DNA evidence, however, they’re waiting for the results to come back.
Meanwhile, police describe the suspect as a white man of average height and weight between the ages of 29 and 34. Anyone with information about the alleged incident is asked to contact police.
