Teen walking home grabbed off sidewalk, raped by stranger, police say

ATLANTA — Residents are taking precautions, after a teenager was raped in southwest Atlanta while walking to a town home community.

Police told Channel 2 Action News it happened along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday night. The victim said she was walking to the Crystal Townhomes.

Neighbors told Choi it's a very busy area and it happened at a bus stop where crime scene tape still litters the area.

Police arrived to help the 16-year-old girl, after she frantically ran up to a Channel 2 Action News crew asking them to call 911 saying a man with gold teeth just raped her.

The victim said he held a gun to her head while he attacked her.

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Neighbors at nearby town homes said this is the first time they're hearing of a crime like this.

"I’ve been here three years and nothing never happened to me. It’s kind of frightening to know that," said a neighbor who wished to remain anonymous.

Tiara Fullins says she walks by the same area daily and is worried.

"It really like got me scared. Oh, my God. It really do," she said.

Residents say a lot of people walk along the sidewalk, mainly at night. They think a stronger police presence would help, especially in light of this latest crime.

"A lot of people get off of work late at night. I think they need to," Fullins said.

Police said they will be on heightened alert in this area and they're pulling up surveillance video and coming up with a sketch of the rapist.

Cox Media Group