Scream heard near Courtice Secondary School early this morning
Aug 06, 2008 - 11:42 AM
COURTICE -- A 12-year-old girl has been taken to hospital after a sexual assault at Courtice Secondary School early this morning and Durham Regional Police are searching for a suspect.
A girl was heard screaming at the Courtice high school shortly after 2:30 a.m. which prompted calls to police.
When officers arrived a red van fled at a high rate of speed. Police took up the chase but broke it off over safety concerns as it continued westbound toward Oshawa.
It was only after police returned to the high school to investigate that they found the 12-year-old girl.
She's been taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The van was located in the Browning Street and Shelley Avenue area of south Oshawa.
Officers have converged on the area of Courtice Secondary School at Nash and Courtice roads looking for evidence.
They are also searching the area of Olive Avenue and Townline Road where tire tracks were found and the van may have made a stop.
Police say the 12-year-old had been taken from Peterborough and was driven to Courtice.
Police spokesman Dave Selby says the girl was at a birthday party for a friend in the south end of Peterborough. Investigators are still trying to determine how she ended up in the van.
At one point, police were concerned a 16-year-old may have gone missing from the same party. However, she was found located at a friend's house early this morning.
Mr. Selby says police have a lead on a "person of interest" in connection with the investigation. No details have been released.
At Courtice Secondary School, a police officer could be seen on the football field collecting evidence.
"I heard somebody yell," nearby resident Kathy Girard told newsdurhamregion.com's Stefanie Swinson. "I didn't make any notice because you hear stuff all the time. I've called the police before and they don't come because there's parties in there all the time."
"Now I wish I had of (called)" she says.
-- with reporting by Jennifer Stone and Stefanie Swinson
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