Girl's Rape Raises Racial Tensions

June 23, 2005 -- -- The reported rape of a 9-year-old girl in a southwestern Ohio town, suspected to have been committed by a Hispanic man, has led to vigilante violence and threats of attacks, but the alleged victim's father is asking for calm to let police find the culprit.

The Hamilton girl was allegedly raped Sunday at a home where some Hispanic men lived. The next day, the house was vandalized and set on fire, police said.

People who live on the street told ABCNews affiliate WCPO-TV in Cincinnati there have been threats against members of the Hispanic community, and they are worried that the violence may not be over.

Hamilton police told WCPO-TV they have no doubt the arson at the house was an act of retaliation by vigilantes.

The girl's father pleaded for calm in the neighborhood and asked his neighbors not to target Hispanic members of the community.

"Everybody thinks they're doing this for me or my daughter to get justice, but justice isn't being caught by burning down houses or beating up innocent people," he said. "Because what happened in that house is wrong, but the house itself is innocent. You know, the house didn't do nothing, the owners of that house didn't do nothing."

He told the station he can feel the tension on the street, and that the arson and the threats are not helping his daughter get justice.

"I wish they would just let police do their jobs, you know, calm down," the victim's father said. "With everyone running around with their heads cut off, if they get anyone they could get the wrong person or innocent."

The vigilante atmosphere and the attention it has drawn to the area has caused more problems for his daughter, he said. The little girl had to go stay with family friends to get away from the curiosity seekers, he said.

"Just people staring, it's like a tourist attraction," her father said. "People driving down here, they stare at that house and at my house, or they stare at me or my family. I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate everybody's concern, but if they're going to be concerned about it, if they have any things -- instead of running after somebody -- if they have details on something, call police."

Hamilton police said the suspect and his roommates abandoned the house after the alleged rape Sunday night. Police have not released a picture of the suspect or his full name, but they said people in the neighborhood would recognize him if they saw him.

"We've had several leads that have pointed towards Kentucky and some in Hamilton," Hamilton Police Department chief Neil Ferelman told WCPO-TV. "We are pursuing all of those aggressively."

Police are not only looking for the rape suspect, they are also looking for whoever set the house on fire, Ferelman said.

Fire investigators spent Wednesday at the charred house, and though they said they cannot elaborate on how the fire was set, they said it looks like someone intentionally set the fire.

The mayor of Hamilton said the city has stepped up police patrols in the area to prevent further violence, and the department's only Spanish-speaking officer made a plea for cooperation from the Hispanic community on local television stations in Spanish.

The officer said he was concerned that because the area's news broadcasts about the alleged rape were in English, non-English-speaking people may not even have known about the incident or the suspect police are seeking.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his early 20s, 5'4"-5'6" tall, 130-140 pounds with a small goatee, short, spiky hair and a tattoo of a bird on his left shoulder. He also goes by the street name "Mario."

The girl's father told WCPO-TV he has faith in the police.

"You know, the police are going to do their job and they're going to catch this guy," he said. "I hope the neighborhood doesn't catch him, because then he won't even make it to court."