A little girl (not pictured here) was kidnapped from a party Saturday night in Boyle Heights and taken to the garage in the brown building across the street. Photo by Emilio Flores/ La Opinion
A little girl (not pictured here) was kidnapped from a party Saturday night in Boyle Heights and taken to the garage in the brown building across the street. Photo by Emilio Flores/ La Opinion
A little girl (not pictured here) was kidnapped from a party Saturday night in Boyle Heights and taken to the garage in the brown building across the street. Photo by Emilio Flores/ La Opinion

A Boyle Heights man was charged Monday after allegedly kidnapping a 3-year-old girl who went missing Saturday night in Boyle Heights.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Edward Lopez, 55, was booked on suspicion of kidnapping with intent to commit a sexual act and is being held on $1 million bail.

The toddler disappeared at around 11p.m. Saturday in the 3200 block of Malabar Street, where her family was attending a baby shower, police said.

Her parents alerted authorities and explained that Lopez, a neighbor known as the local handyman, had left the party around the same time the little girl was last seen, said LAPD Hollenbeck Detective Steven Juarez.

After a three-hour search, the girl and Lopez were found on a sofa inside a garage he used, just steps away from the party. Lopez was naked when officers located him and the girl was partially clothed, said police.

“People at party were very cooperative as far as coming together. They were all concerned and they helped police find leads,” said Juarez.

The victim, a resident of South Los Angeles, was examined by doctors at a local hospital and appeared to be unharmed, said Juarez.

Police say Lopez sustained visible injuries after resisting arrest.

My background: I was born in Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights, where I got my start in journalism by launching a community blog. Most recently, I worked at the Los Angeles Times and have spent most of my career covering local news in LA, with a focus on community-centered stories, Latino communities and mentoring emerging writers.

What I do: I lead coverage of Boyle Heights and East LA across all platforms to inform, connect and uplift our community. I spend my days listening, planning, editing and coordinating to make sure our stories reflect the community fairly, while supporting and mentoring my team of reporters and freelancers so they can grow along the way.

Why LA?: It’s home. It’s the sounds of Spanglish and other languages, the smell of tacos and kimchi, the way street art tells stories and how, even though I hate traffic, I love how the freeways can take me to the beach or the mountains on a whim.

The best way to contact me: My email is jessica.perez@boyleheightsbeat.org.

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