'I Felt Something Warm On My Leg': Girl Describes Horrific Incident At Kennywood In Exclusive KDKA Interview
WEST MIFFLIN (KDKA) -- Police in West Mifflin are trying to find a man accused of committing a lewd act on a teenage girl at Kennywood.
They released surveillance images of the suspect on Wednesday, asking the public for help identifying the man.
Now, the victim and her parents are speaking out about the incident in an exclusive interview with KDKA-TV.
KDKA is not identifying the girl or her family members because she is a child.
The 13-year-old was in line to get on the Log Jammer when the incident began.
"There is this guy behind me and he was getting closer to me, and I was moving away from him," the girl said.
She says she was standing in line with her girlfriend, who is 12, when it happened.
"I felt something warm, like, go on my leg. I turned around and his private part was out, and I was screaming at him, 'Get away from me, you're disgusting, and why would you do that,' and he said in a soft voice, 'Sorry, I have a problem,'" she said.
Police have surveillance video of the suspect running away and the girls have identified him.
After telling the ride operator what happened, the girl says she and her friend got on the ride and continued to walk in the park. Eventually, they went to park security.
West Mifflin Police were called and detectives took the girl's socks and shoes for the suspect's DNA.
But the girl's parents say they have a problem with the way Kennywood handled it initially.
"She had to seek her own security. I believe the way they handled it was horrible. They should have said, 'Stay here, I'm going to call security.' Security should have taken her to their office and police should have been called immediately," the girl's mom said.
Kennywood has released the following statement regarding the incident:
"Like everyone, we at Kennywood are shocked by the incident that occurred Monday night. We would like to express our support for the victim and her family.
We have been working with West Mifflin Police since the initial reports on Monday evening and will continue to cooperate with the authorities to the best of our abilities. West Mifflin Police have informed us that our Ride Operators and Public Safety Officers responded quickly, and handled the incident and preliminary investigation appropriately. We will continue to work with WMPD however we can. They have asked us to not comment further as this is an ongoing investigation. The most important thing is that this person be brought to justice. We thank the public for their help in identifying the suspect, and hope he is apprehended soon."
Police have the surveillance images and the man's DNA, but are still working to identify him.
Anyone who is able to identify this male should contact West Mifflin Police at 412-461-0600, call 911 or submit information to the West Mifflin Police tip page here: WestMifflinPolice.com/submit-a-tip/
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