Man sought in Dexter McDonald's assault

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dexter police are looking for a man accused of assaulting a teenage girl in the restroom of the local McDonald's on March 16.

Police received a call just before 2 p.m. that a man in his early 20s entered the women's restroom at McDonald's at 909 West Business Highway 60 and assaulted a 17-year-old girl who had entered the restroom earlier with a friend.

According to a report filed by Sgt. J.A. Door, the victim said she entered the restroom with a friend and noticed a man peeking at her through the slightly opened door.

"He then rushed in and put his arm around her neck and began choking her while pushing her down toward the ground," Door's report says.

The victim reportedly screamed and, while trying to free herself, dropped her cellphone.

"When this happened," Door reported, "the unknown male grabbed her phone and left the bathroom."

There were two other women in the restroom when the incident occurred, but both were in the restroom's stalls and were not eyewitnesses to the assault. The victim's friend was a witness and assisted police in describing the attacker.

No one in the restaurant saw a person matching the description of the attacker leave the restaurant.

Video cameras are mounted at the local restaurant, but storms the night before the attack had damaged the units and they were not in operation.

An area search was immediately launched for the attacker, but without a vehicle description, the search turned up no possible suspects. It was later questioned whether the attacker might have entered the men's restroom following the attack and remained there until the area was clear.

The victim received wounds to the neck area and the scalp, and told police the attacker had attempted to bite her on the neck during the struggle. A DNA swab from the neck area was taken at the police station.

The cellphone taken was described as an Apple iPhone 3GS in a purple protective case.

Anyone having information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Dexter Police Department at 573-624-5512.

Pertinent address:

Dexter, MO