Police: DNA led to arrest in attack of 15-year-old girl

A Northwest Side man with a long history of arrests has been charged with the brutal rape of a teenage girl who remains in critical condition nearly a month after the attack, authorities said.

Detectives were led to Luis Alberto Pantoja, 25, through DNA collected from a condom wrapper found near the Belmont Cragin backyard where the girl was assaulted just before dawn Dec. 17, according to a law enforcement source.

Pantoja was arrested at his home on Friday without incident, police said in a statement, saying additional physical evidence was recovered then.

Pantoja, of the 5500 block of West Wrightwood Avenue, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. He was ordered held without bail during a hearing today.

Authorities asked for a sign language interpreter during the hearing. Pantoja is hearing-impaired, according to a police report.

Pantoja was found with a .32-caliber revolver but it was unclear if he had it during the attack, authorities said.

The attack happened in 2400 block of North Long Avenue about 5:25 a.m., police said. The girl was found by a neighbor about two hours later, half-clothed and bleeding from the head.

At a Sunday afternoon news conference, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy congratulated Area North detectives and officers from the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force on the arrest.

He said the investigation found the girl was attacked an hour earlier than detectives originally thought. The was on her way to catch a bus so she could meet her father, who was to give her a ride to school, McCarthy said.

He said the girl would usually leave a little later in the morning, which is why police thought the attack occurred not long after 6 a.m.

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Police: DNA led to arrest in attack of 15-year-old girl