Delaware girl, 9, abducted and raped

A 9-year-old Delaware girl who found herself locked out of her home Wednesday night was abducted and raped by a stranger who offered to help search for her family, police said.

The incident began about 8:45 p.m. when a family friend dropped the girl off at her family's Alban Park apartment in New Castle County. The girl was able to get inside the building but found the door to the apartment locked and nobody home, police said.

As the girl looked for her sister and her parents outside, a man drove up and offered to give her a ride. She accepted, police said.

Instead of searching for her family, the man drove north into Wilmington where he parked the car and sexually assaulted the girl. The victim escaped and ran. A Good Samaritan took her to a nearby convenience store where the girl was able to reach a family member by phone, police said.

The assailant is described as an Asian or Hispanic male with short black hair. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Brian Faulkner at 302-395-8110.