LEESBURG, Fla. – Leesburg police are looking for a group of men who gang-raped a 17-year-old and two juveniles who sexually assaulted a 12-year-old in the Carver Heights neighborhood.
Pauline Stewart has lived near the abandoned homes police believe one of the incidents happened at for more than 20 years.
Police said the female victims all come from the same group foster home. On Tuesday, police boarded up the abandoned home where the assault took place.
"I've been here in the Heights for a long time, a lot of stuff happening that we don't know about, bad stuff. I'm a mother and I'm a grandmother and I wouldn't want that to happen to my kids," one resident said.
Police said on Sunday a 12-year-old girl was forced to perform a sexual act on an older boy. She was with her 15-year-old friend, another foster child, who told police she's had sex in abandoned buildings several times before with as many as five men at a time.
"Its a sad situation that kids today are getting wrapped up in situations like this, it shouldn't happen," said Leesburg police Maj. Steve Rockefeller.
Police also said a 17-year-old was gang-raped by four to seven men on the same street days earlier by men in their mid-20s. Police said the area is known for drug activity and that they have plans to crack down on code enforcement, boarding up four more abandoned homes by the end of the week.
"We're going to make sure it doesn't happen in any of our vacant properties," Rockfeller said. "They'll have to go someplace else."
Police are also stepping up patrols in Carver Heights, but neighbors said all the action is long overdue.
"It's kind of scary," the resident said.. "They should have been doing something about it, not just now."
The group home is licensed by the Department of Children and Families. In a statement to Local 6 they said in part, "Due to recent police reports, Kids Central and DCF are assessing the provider and the circumstances surrounding recent events. Our first priority is to ensure the safety of children under its care and making sure the children receive the help they need."
DCF was at the home on Wednesday and says four children live at the foster home and all came from troubled backgrounds. DCF says it is taking steps to investigate if the home was appropriate for the children's age and maturity, whether there was adequate supervision and if the children needed special care because of their troubled past.
DCF said the children weren't classified as needing special attention. They have removed the 17-year-old from the foster home and the 12-year-old will be removed as well at the request of the foster mother.
No arrests have been made and police are still investigating.