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'Deeply Disturbing': Man Arrested In Kidnapping, Sex Assault In Providence

PROVIDENCE, RI (CBS) - A 34-year-old Cranston, RI man is being held without bail, charged with kidnapping a 9-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her.

"There has been no more disturbing, deeply disturbing case in the city, or I'd say in this state, for quite some time," said Providence Police Chief Col. Hugh Clements.

The little girl had just gotten off her school bus Monday, when police say Luis Martinez-Romero stopped his car, jumped out, and forced the girl into the car.

Luis Martinez-Romero
Luis Martinez-Romero in court, Oct. 7, 2020. (WBZ-TV)

After sexually assaulting her, Romero took her back to her street.

Later, talking to detectives, the little girl said the man had also taken her to a Burger King. Police said they matched the neighborhood surveillance video of his car with video from the Burger King drive thru. They said a debit car purchase led them to Romero.

When police arrested Romero at his home in Cranston, he was holding his infant child.

"At this point we have him for one event," Clements said. "It certainly is a possibility there is more than one. There is certainly a possibility there could be several."

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