AURORA, Colo. — Aurora Police arrested a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl who was on her way to the bus stop Friday morning.
The Aurora Police Department (APD) said officers responded to a call for a child complaint early Friday morning. The girl told police she was on her way to the bus stop when a man approached her, grabbed her arm and took her to his nearby apartment, where it's reported that he sexually assaulted her.
She escaped from the man's home and found someone to help her call 911.
"We were able to speak in detail with the victim today, which has allowed us to get the important details out of the incident," APD sergeant Joseph Sullivan said.
When officers arrived, they searched the man's home at Macon Street and East Colfax Avenue. They arrested 31-year-old Shukurani Mulenda, who is a registered sex offender.
Sullivan acknowledged the girl's bravery for sharing her story and playing a role in Friday's arrest.
"It takes a very strong young woman to be able to relive this not just once, but more than once in the day with different people asking her what happened, to relive the traumatic experience, and go through it so we can get the details to bring justice," Sullivan said.
Mulenda was arrested for second-degree kidnapping and sex assault on a child. Police said they're unsure whether there are other victims.
"I can't imagine having to recount that over and over again," Sullivan said. "And I commend her courage for speaking with us and being able to go through this whole process, which took several hours today."
Mulenda is being held on a $75,000 cash-only bond.
> Video below: Man accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting 11-year-old girl has court appearance
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or visit metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers works by assigning a code to people who anonymously submit a tip. Information is shared with law enforcement, and Crime Stoppers is notified at the conclusion of the investigation.
From there, an awards committee reviews the information provided and, if the information leads to an arrest, the tipster will be notified. Rewards can be collected using the code numbers received when the tip was originally submitted.
> More information about Metro Denver Crime Stoppers can be found here.
> Additional Crime Stoppers bulletins can be found here.
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