A 15-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and pepper-sprayed outside a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Wisconsin, local police said Tuesday.
The police department in Janesville, Wisconsin, said in a news release that the teen girl was "pepper sprayed in the crowd" after being "groped" by a man in the crowd outside the rally, which took place Tuesday afternoon at the Holiday Inn Express and Janesville Convention Center.
The young girl, along with another woman who received second-hand pepper spray, was treated at a local hospital. Police were looking for two suspects in the incident.
"A 15-year-girl from Janesville was pepper-sprayed in the crowd by a non-law-enforcement person. A 19-year-old woman from Madison received 2nd hand spray as well. Both individuals received medical attention at local hospitals," the Janesville Police Department said.
"A male in the crown groped the [15-year-old] girl; when she pushed him away; another person in the crowd sprayed her. We are currently looking for two suspects, one for the sexual assault and one for the pepper spray."
Video posted to social media of the incident appears to show the teen girl arguing with a man. She shoves him before another man sprays her with the pepper spray.
Here's a video (and prev photo) taken by @derek94gt of the punch/pepper spray incident at the Janesville Trump rally pic.twitter.com/iVCHvsISDi
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 29, 2016
The girl appears to be holding a sign protesting Trump. According to police, about 1,000 people were inside the Holiday Inn Express for the rally, while 1,000 others--consisting of both supporters and protesters--gathered outside.
Police are reviewing video recordings captured at the scene and have spoken to eyewitnesses of the incident, USA Today reported. David Moore, the Janesville police chief, said Wednesday that the police department’s bureau of detectives is currently working on the case.
"We intend to learn the true events that occurred and make the appropriate arrests," Moore stated.
Police arrested six protesters on the evening before the rally on charges of disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer, and trespassing. The protesters were participating in an anti-Trump rally Monday night, police said, and were arrested after refusing to leave the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express.
The rally took place in Wisconsin one week before the crucial GOP winner-take-most primary contest there. Earlier Tuesday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, once himself a 2016 presidential candidate, endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) over Republican rivals Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.