ATLANTA -- Police said they were called to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, Sunday evening at about 11 p.m., after receiving a report of a sexual assault.
According to Atlanta Police Officer Jarius Daughety, three males reportedly pulled a 15-year-old girl behind an abandoned building in the city's Oakland City community and sexually assaulted her earlier in the evening on Sunday.
Daugherty said it happened in the 1100 block of Princess Avenue, SW at about 9:30 p.m.
11Alive's Joe Henke visited the neighborhood and noted that the building is less than a block from William Finch Elementary School and adjacent to the Cathedral of Faith church.
Horace Marcell is the business manager and a church elder with Cathedral of Faith. He says for a year they have been purchasing nearby abandoned homes.
"So we came in, purchased it, put a new roof on it, secured it and that is going to be one of the things we do," he said, pointing to a nearby home the church has purchased and is renovating. "We give away groceries and clothing once a week, so this is going to be the future home of our food bank."
Marcell says Sunday's crime scene has been on their shopping list, but they have been unable to find the house's owner.
No arrests have been made in Sunday night's assault.
"Very disturbing," Marcell said. "Because we never want to have anybody, especially our children hurt or harmed in the community and a crime of this degree is devastating."
Marcell says his church also recently teamed up with Finch Elementary for a walking school bus program with church members and school staff helping students walk through the neighborhood when it is still dark before and after school.
The church says they believe their efforts are stopping crime, but Sunday night's incident shows their work is not done.
"We have seen some reduction, but we need more," Marcell says. "This community needs to be crime free."
Officer Daugherty says the police investigation remains active.