Fresno Girl Found Safe After Amber Alert Issued

Police say an 8-year-old girl who was abducted while playing outside a Fresno home was sexually assaulted before managing to escape her captor.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says the child told investigators that 24-year-old Gregorio Gonzalez took her to a wooded area near a canal and sexually assaulted her after kidnapping her Monday night.

Police say Gonzalez is a member of the Bulldog street gang. They have not released a motive for the random attack.

Authorities previously released the girl’s name when issuing an Amber Alert, but The Associated Press and KESQ News Channel 3 do not name victims of sexual assault.

Gonzalez allegedly stopped his truck and pushed out the girl Tuesday morning after a driver recognized his vehicle and cut him off in traffic.