Refugee Teen Accused Of Trying To Rape Girl

Indiana News
Arrest Made; Neighbor Says 18-Year-Old Innocent
INDIANAPOLIS -- An 18-year-old refugee from Burma was arrested this week on suspicion of trying to rape a 10-year-old girl at an Indianapolis apartment complex.

But one of Ta Oo's neighbors says he believes Oo is innocent, asserting that Oo was not at the location where the incident is alleged to have occurred.

Oo was arrested on a preliminary charge of attempted rape. Authorities said he and two of his friends are accused of trying to rape the girl near the basketball court at the Nora Pines apartments, located in the 8900 block of Compton Street, on Tuesday night.

One of Oo's neighbors, Kenneth Taylor, said Oo was not at the basketball court.

"The young individual that they are trying to charge with this attempted rape was sitting on his porch at the time," Taylor told 6News' Derrik Thomas. "He did not attempt to grab that young lady in (any) type of way."

Information on whether Oo's friends were arrested wasn't available.

A judge on Friday granted prosecutors three more days to decide what charge to file in the case. Oo was being held Friday with bond set at $50,000.

Oo is one of 415 people who have settled this year in Indiana from Burma, which some have fled because of racial and religious discrimination.

Carleen Miller, director of Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc., is monitoring the case against him. The agency helps refugees find housing, schools and jobs.

"We are concerned when any refugee in our city has been charged with something," Miller said. "We want to be sure that they get the kind of representation they need, especially since they don't speak the language and need to have someone who speaks it to represent them."

Oo's initial hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday.

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