According to Sgt. Tommy Thompson with Phoenix police, the suspect approached the girl from behind, grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back and put his arm over her face while she was walking to school near 19th Avenue and Bell Road on April 3.
When the suspect started talking to the girl, a witness knocked him down and told him to leave the girl alone.
The witness then pointed a handgun at the suspect and told him to leave.
The suspect ran westbound on Morningside Drive.
Police say the suspect is a black man with a very dark complexion, green eyes and has a stud-style nose ring in his left nostril. He was wearing a black hoodie.
Meanwhile, neighbors are reacting after hearing of the incident.
"I'm kind of shocked at it, really," said one person.
"Normally, that doesn't happen in this kind of neighborhood. As you can tell, it's kind of quiet," said another resident.
Meanwhile, police officials say they have increased patrol in the area.
If you have any information, please call Phoenix police at 602-5345-2121 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.
Reader Comments
How old were you when you first fired a gun? I was, I believe, 5, as that was when we boys were first allowed to fire a gun. My sisters didn't seem interested; hmm.
The ONLY thing in my household that could garner one corporal punishment was merely attempt to look at guns without realtime adult there. That lasted through about age 12 or so.
What a wimp nation America - oops- AmeriKa, as in 'Kaa Kaa' has become.
R.C.