Man arrested after allegedly luring teenage girl into Bronx park, exposing himself

A man who police say lured a 13-year-old girl into a Bronx park and exposed himself Thursday morning has been arrested.

Oneil Kennedy, 45, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, public lewdness, stalking and harassment.

The victim told police she was walking alone on her way to school around 8:30 a.m. when she was lured into a secluded, wooded section of Seton Falls Park. Police say the suspect performed a lewd act in front of the child before she was able to run away.

Police sources say the child did not recall seeing a weapon and she was not physically injured.

Community frightened by incident

Before Kennedy's arrest, officers spent several hours going door to door, interviewing neighbors along East 233rd Street, canvassing a two-block radius between Murdock and De Reimer avenues.

"It's scary. It's really scary," Edenwald resident Mardel Cheeseboro said.

"It could have been my child, could have been your child," neighbor Lorna Khanns said.

Officers inquired at nearby homes for surveillance footage as they tried to pinpoint what direction the victim and suspect were heading. The roadway is a very busy thoroughfare with vehicles and buses lining the street alongside the park.

"It's sad for the community, you know? It's bad for the community," Khanns said.

"I'm scared. Even myself when I walk out here, I look around, 'cause I'm handicapped, before I walk down these steps to make sure nobody suspicious-looking [is] near me," Cheeseboro said.