A 56-year-old Red Deer man faces charges of kidnapping and sexual assault after a Penhold teen who vanished for two days managed to escape to a mall and phone for help.
Police arrested the suspect, who has not been identified, while he was driving in Red Deer around 12:20 p.m. Sunday.
Sgt. Patrick Webb said RCMP believe the suspect did not know the 16-year-old victim, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“I can’t go into the injuries at all, but suffice to say that it’s obviously a very upsetting and trying experience ... I talked to her briefly today and she’s a pretty tough young lady,†he said.
The victim’s mother told reporters she was incredibly relieved to see her daughter again.
“It has been a horrific, horrific horrible experience ... She’s coping. She’s a strong girl and she’s got her friends and her family around her. She’s doing amazingly well,†she said.
The woman, who will not be identified to protect her daughter’s identity, said knowing an arrest was made hasn’t helped ease the pain.
“It’s not doing anything for [her] at all. She feels scared and she feels unsafe in her own home, and I can’t do anything for it at all,†she said.
The victim was reported missing by her family Thursday night after failing to return from a trip to a Penhold convenience store. Frantic friends and family joined RCMP in a province-wide search that saw over 15,000 flyers distributed across the city. A Facebook group for the girl was inundated with messages of hope and support and hundreds of volunteers took to the streets for a series of searches over the weekend.
The girl reportedly escaped from her captor around 8:30 p.m. Saturday and fled to Bower Place Shopping Centre, where she phoned home.
“We had the family all sitting around and just waiting for the call. When the phone rang and we saw the caller ID was a pay phone, we said, ‘Oh please God, is this the right thing?’ And she said, ‘Dad come get me,’†said her mother.
“She said she was so scared, but then she asked about her brother and sister and how they were doing. That’s the kind of girl she is.â€
Sgt. Webb said police don’t want to release details about the incident in order to protect the victim, investigation and any future trial.
“The smallest most insignificant detail could result in ... losing this case at trial,†he said.
The suspect will appear in a Red Deer court after formal charges have been laid.
In the meantime, her mother said it’s up to her daughter to decide if and when she wants to go back to school.
“She didn’t do anything wrong, it was bad luck ... She did everything right to survive,†said the victim’s mother.
