Girl, 13, Pulled Out Own Hair During Alleged Assault to Leave DNA at Home of Man She Met on TikTok: DA

News By TooFab Staff |
Westmoreland County District Attorney Office

The man, 19, allegedly told her, "They won't be able to find you anyway" when she said she wanted to leave.

A 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl was so scared she would simply disappear after meeting up with an older man she met on TikTok that she allegedly pulled out her own hair to leave traces of her DNA at his apartment, this according to prosecutors.

Angel Lopez, 19, is facing a number of charges -- including kidnapping and sexual abuse of a minor -- after an incident at his Philadelphia home back in March. He appeared in court this week for a preliminary hearing in his case, according to WTAE.

According to the Westmoreland County District Attorneys Office, Lopez and the victim had been communicating over TikTok for four days, with the girl claiming the suspect asked her to send explicit pictures.

He then allegedly arranged for her to come to his place in Philadelphia. Per prosecutors, he paid for an Uber to pick her up in her hometown of Greenburg and drive her to the city.

Lopez also allegedly told the girl to "leave behind a note that stated she was running away from home and told her family to not look for her" -- and said he'd kill himself if she didn't visit. Authorities claimed he told her not to bring any electronic devices with her, texting, "I want you to leave no trace behind."

According to the criminal complaint, the victim said Lopez immediately started making sexual advanced toward her in the elevator. Then, once inside the apartment, she claimed he told her to turn off her phone, offered her drugs in the form of a weed pen and sexually assaulted her. Prosecutors say the suspect "told the victim to shower to wash his DNA off of her."

When she said she wanted to leave, he allegedly told her, "They won't be able to find you anyway" -- a comment which she found "concerning," Det. Sgt. Justin Scalzo, with Greensburg Police said in a press conference.

"That actually prompted the victim in this case to pull out strands of her hair and try to leave them around the apartment," Scalzo added, "saying that later that if if nobody found her, maybe they could at least find her her DNA."

According to the DA, the victim was able to escape the apartment "after she heard someone outside in the hallway and believed it was her means of getting to safety." At this point, she had been reported missing, police pinged her cell phone and found her in Philadelphia -- before transporting her to a station nearby until her family arrived.

Prosecutors say investigators found an "exorbitant number of messages exchanged between the victim and the defendant, including graphic videos."

He'll be back in court on May 14, per WTAE.

If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.