Police: Suspect offered candy, grabbed girl’s arm in South Shore

Police are searching for a suspect who attempted to lure a 10-year-old girl and grabbed her arm Thursday afternoon in the South Shore neighborhood.

She was walking home from school about 4:20 p.m. in the 7100 block of South East End when the suspect approached and asked her if she wanted to go to the store for candy, according to a community alert from Chicago Police.

The girl ignored the suspect, but he followed her, eventually grabbing her arm, police said.

She struck the suspect in the groin and, with the suspect still following, ran to the back of her apartment complex, where she made contact with her father, police said. The suspect then left the scene.

The suspect was described as a black male, standing between 6-foot- and 6-foot-2, weighing between 160 and 170 pounds, with a medium complexion and a mark under his left eye, police said. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, a black winter jacket, a face mask with a graphic of teeth on the front, black jeans and black shoes.

Anyone with information on the attempted child luring is asked to contact Area Central detectives at (312) 747-8385.