Man followed 12-year-old girl home from park, attacked her, police say

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A man is in jail after police say he targeted a 12-year old girl at a park, followed her home and attacked her.

Channel 2's Chris Jose learned the girl escaped. He spoke to the victim, who walked him through the terrifying encounter at the park on Gramling Street.

"He started following me, and then he tried pushing me into the darkness by a bush. And he started grabbing me and hugging me," the 12-year-old told us with her mom by her side in Marietta.

Cesar Chavez was arrested and is in the Cobb County jail.

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"He pushed me into the car that’s outside," the victim said. We’re not identifying her because she is in a minor.

She told Jose the man grabbed her and forced her to kiss him. Every time she broke free, she said, Chavez caught up and even chased her when she tried to get into the house.

"I tried going to the window in the back of the house because the door was locked and my mom had the keys," she said.

The girl couldn’t get in so she yelled for help.  Her 10-year old brother heard her. He got their mother and Chavez ran away.

Marietta police found him at an apartment complex a block away.

The mother hopes her daughter will never see the man's face again.

Chavez is charged with several counts of false imprisonment and molestation.

Cox Media Group