Girl who was sexually assaulted still in hospital; suspect at large

A girl injured when she was sexually assaulted by a home intruder earlier this week remains in the hospital.

Sgt. Nikki Woodrow said the Wichita Police Department is funneling a “considerable amount of resources” into finding and arresting the person responsible for harming the 7-year-old Sunday morning in an apartment in the 1400 block of North Smith Court. But to date, just who he is is unclear, and he’s still at large.

Wichita police made its first public plea for information about his identity and the case in a Facebook announcement Monday afternoon.

Authorities have offered a vague description of the man. He’s white, clean-shaven, has light-hued hair and was wearing jeans and an unknown shirt when the girl was assaulted.

The apartment is near 13th and Zoo Boulevard.

“Right now, we’re asking anyone who may have observed anyone loitering or behaving suspiciously in that area over the past couple days ... or has direct information on this crime” to call the Wichita-Sedgwick County Exploited and Missing Child Unit at 316-660-9494, Wichita-Sedgwick County Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or leave a tip at 800-222-TIPS (8477), Woodrow said.

Crime Stoppers can also be reached at www.wichitasedgwickcountycrimestoppers.com or on the P3 Tips mobile application. Those tips are anonymous and may lead to a cash reward.

“What we need to focus on right now is trying to identify the suspect,” she said.

Wichita police weren’t saying much about the crime — including how the intruder got inside of the apartment — as of Tuesday. The man, they say, walked in at about 2:40 a.m., found and sexually molested the girl to the point of hurting her then left. An adult in the home woke up to the girl’s cries and called 911 for help after learning of the assault.

The girl remains hospitalized, Woodrow said. She did not know her condition.

“This is a delicate situation,” she said, adding that investigators “having been working round the clock since the call came out.”

This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Girl who was sexually assaulted still in hospital; suspect at large."