INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis police arrested a man Friday who they say entered a home and tried to sexually assault a child.
Police say the man, Joseph Allen, 30, forced his way into a home on the 1400 block of South Belmont Street sometime before 5:30 a.m. July 27. Once inside the home, he tried to sexually assault a young girl.
Kebede Gorfie, the girl's father, says he heard his daughter cry out for help.
"He tried to hold her mouth," Gorfie said. "She cried. When she cries I wake up immediately. He ran away. I tried to follow him, but I didn't get him."
Police did Allen, though. He is preliminarily charged with burglary and attempted child molestation.
Gorfie told RTV6's he's taken steps to increase security at his house, including installing cameras and alarms. Other neighbors say they are feeling frustrated about crime that he been plaguing their area.
"Severe times they break the car," said neighbor Getnet Yilma. "They break the window. Several times in happens. So we keep calling 911 every time."
Allen was already awaiting trial on a prior residential entry and auto theft case. He was being held in the Marion County Jail.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 262-TIPS.
Editor's note: Police first said the suspect attempted to sexually assault the child. Then, a spokesperson said the assault did happen; then corrected the statement to say it was attempted.
