AUSTIN, Texas – A 24-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting a child who was taken from downtown Austin on Saturday, April 21, according to the affidavit.
- Underage female taken from downtown Austin
- Victim was tied up inside a van for two days
- Escaped on Sunday when she was allowed to use the bathroom
After the underage female had been missing for two days, a relative received a phone call from the victim saying that she had been trapped inside a van and was finally able to escape.
Austin police said the victim was eating dinner in downtown Austin with a relative when she went outside and was approached by a tan van. A man wearing a mask exited the van and forced the female inside, states the affidavit.
The man then parked the van at an unknown location and tied up the victim’s arms. At one point during the weekend, the victim said she was sexually assaulted by the suspect.
A Hispanic woman with pink hair and a 4-year-old boy then met the suspect in the van while the victim was trapped inside.
The victim was not allowed to go to the bathroom until the morning of Sunday, April 22 when she was untied at the Plaza Saltillo metro station in East Austin. As soon as she stepped out of the van, the victim said she took off running to a nearby gas station where she called her relative.
The relative immediately contacted police to safely pick her up. After giving police a description of the man and the van, he was located by officers a short time later.
The suspect was identified as 24-year-old Tyler James Hunt. He was arrested by police and claimed during an interview that he and the victim had been drinking together on Saturday. Hunt told officers that he was unaware the victim was underage until Sunday when he let her go.
Hunt has been charged with the sexual assault of a child, which is a second degree felony.