Sheriff: Kidnapping, assault of Clovis teen was not random

Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims released more details on the kidnapping and assault of a 13-year-old Clovis girl at a news conference Friday, and her office is asking for the public’s help in identifying the four men responsible.

The girl was grabbed around 3:15 p.m. on Feb. 16 by four masked men just outside her home near Shepherd and Academy avenues, Mims said. She was bound, told not to scream and placed in the trunk of a gray or silver 1990s-era BMW.

The car drove about 25 minutes north to Sycamore Road and Coyote Drive in Tollhouse. The men then took the girl out of the car, beat her and left her. She was able to walk about a mile to a home, and the residents called 911.

Mims said the girl’s injuries were not severe, and detectives still are working to determine if she was sexually assaulted.

“This family was targeted,” Mims said. “This was not a random act.”

Detectives have identified several people of interest and are working to secure search warrants, she said. They also checked the girl’s social media accounts and found nothing of interest.

The Sheriff’s Office shared two maps of possible routes the kidnappers may have taken during and after the kidnapping. Mims asked anyone who may have seen the car drive through the area or has surveillance cameras mounted on their homes to call Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP. The reward for information leading to an arrest was increased to $2,000.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Sheriff: Kidnapping, assault of Clovis teen was not random."