Police search for predator of girls

Keith Paul

Thursday, March 23, 2000 | 11:23 a.m.

A grandfatherly man has been prowling Las Vegas neighborhoods, snatching five young girls in the past year with the last reported incident on Sunday, Metro Police said.

Five abductions of girls ages 4 to 6 have been reported since March 1999. In each case the girls were returned a short time later. At least two of the girls were sexually assaulted, Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's sexual assault unit said.

In all of the cases the girls were lured into the man's car with the promise of money, Monahan said.

The Sunday abduction occurred on Rochelle Avenue between Decatur and Jones boulevards. Another girl was abducted March 6 from the area of Tropicana Avenue and Jones Boulevard.

The first abduction occurred on March 10, 1999, in the area of Rochelle Avenue and Spencer Street, the second on May 18, 1999, near Sahara Avenue and Maryland Parkway and the third on July 15 near Tropicana Avenue and Jones Boulevard.

Police say there could have been other abductions that have not been reported. Also there may have been more sexual assaults of the girls who were reported kidnapped, but the girls may not have been able to explain what happened to them.

None of the children were in secluded areas or walking alone from school when they were abducted.

"In one case the child was outside the house coloring and the mom is inside cooking dinner," Monahan said. "The mom looks outside and the kid is coloring. She turns around and finished cooking and looks outside again and the kid is still coloring."

But about 30 minutes had gone by, and the girl had been abducted by the man and then returned, he said.

Police have increased patrols in the area of the abductions. Monahan is also urging parents to stress to their children to never get into the car of someone they don't know.

Investigators have searched their files of sex offenders but have found no one who matches the description of the man abducting the little girls.

Monahan said it is rare for someone to target such young girls.

"The only way to make certain that he stops is to catch him, convict him and imprison him," Monahan said. "We know that sex offenders, especially child molesters, are need-driven and are satisfying some psychological need."

The man was described by the girls as white and a "grandfather type" with white hair cut short and with a white goatee or mustache. He is heavyset with a large stomach. The suspect may wear eyeglasses and may speak Spanish.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Metro's sexual assault unit at 229-3421 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.