November 15, 2012

Associated Press

 

Police with bloodhounds trekked through undeveloped hills east of downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday in a massive search for a teenage girl or woman after witnesses reported seeing a man drag her away by the hair.

Police were told the victim, described as 13 or older — possibly a small woman — was taken on Monday night during an argument with a male in his late teens.

“That argument escalated to the point where the male struck the female at least once in the face and then began to drag her up into the brush area by the hair,” police Lt. Andy Neiman said.

Witnesses followed and saw the man begin to remove some of the girl's clothing, Neiman said.

No reports of a missing girl had been filed, but the witnesses seemed credible, police said.

The only evidence discovered by officers was leggings and tennis shoes, Police Chief Charlie Beck said. Searchers on foot and horseback combed 455 acres of the El Sereno hills while others flew overhead in a helicopter.

“My hope is that this was a dispute that was resolved in some way, but we have to treat everything like it’s the real deal,” Beck said at a news conference.

Category: Community