HOUSTON – A 16-year-old girl was dragged into a wooded area, sexually assaulted and badly beaten before she walked one mile to a northwest Harris County movie theater to ask for help, deputies said.
Harris County sheriff's deputies said a man grabbed the girl from behind and dragged her into a wooded area on Spring Cypress Road near Avenue D, about a mile east of the Northwest Freeway, about 11 p.m. Tuesday. The girl was hit in the head with a blunt object several times, officials said.
Investigators said the girl thought the man intended to kill her, so she did something that may have saved her life.
"She acts as if she has died," Deputy Armando Tamez said. "She doesn't move, doesn't flinch."
Her attacker apparently believed she was dead and walked away, investigators said.
After the attack, the girl, who was naked, managed to walk about a mile to a movie theater along Skinner Road near Spring Cypress.
The victim's injuries were so severe, she had to be airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital for treatment. She was hospitalized in stable condition.
The attacker was described as white and about 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin, muscular build. He was wearing dark-colored clothing.
"We need to get this guy off the street," Lt. Ruben Diaz said. "We need the public's help to get this guy."
Anyone with information about the crime call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.