New Jersey police arrest 27 at apartment complex where 7-year-old was gang-raped
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Police arrested 27 people on outstanding warrants during a raid in a Trenton, New Jersey, public housing complex on Thursday, where a 7-year-old girl was gang-raped, sold by her 15-year-old stepsister.
The arrests were unrelated to the rape case. Many of those arrested were women, and the warrants were for minor infractions.
Resident say the high-rise building is so dangerous that police are hired as security guards at night.
Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer said the early morning raid of Rowan Towers had been planned before the girl's attack.
Police hoped the arrests would lead to tips to help them find those who abused the little girl sexually.
"I think everyone, not just in Trenton, in New Jersey but across this nation and the world is shocked, outraged and horrified by the barbaric act of monster pervert rapists and what happened to an innocent angel," Mayor Palmer said.
"This is only the beginning," he said. "We're not going to rest until that area is cleaned up so that decent people can live without the threat of fear and violence."
According to police, about a dozen people attended the party and everyone in the apartment when the rape occurred could be legally responsible.
Police said they have DNA evidence and they were reviewing all available building surveillance videos. They said they were expecting to make multiple arrests of both juvenile and adult males.