WHEELING - Wheeling police are looking for a Maryland juvenile male who allegedly raped a juvenile girl Saturday near the Belle Isle baseball field on Wheeling Island.
Deputy Chief Martin Kimball said the incident was reported to police about 7 p.m., but the assault apparently occurred several hours before. The girl, a Wheeling resident, said she had talked to the boy on the Internet and via text messaging before meeting him on the Island.
Kimball said the suspect is younger than 18 years old but old enough to drive a vehicle.
The alleged assault happened in a wooded area near the ballfield, located on the north end of the Island. The suspect is a black male who was driving a black Ford Mustang, possibly a convertible, with Maryland license plates.
"We are working leads and developing information to identify the suspect. ... We're collecting evidence at the crime scene and detectives are interviewing the victim. We're working to make sure it happened as it was claimed," Kimball said.
Kimball declined to give the victim's exact age or disclose if she was injured.
"Parents need to monitor their child's access on the computer and find out who they're communicating with," he said.
