Local

Ohio child rape suspect caught in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police on Wednesday helped capture a man accused of raping an 11-year old girl in Trotwood, Ohio.

Travis Odom, 22, is accused of raping the girl in February, police said.

The accuser's mother said she found him hiding half-naked in her daughter's bedroom closet in the middle of the night.

Investigators said the two met on Facebook.

Authorities have been searching for Odom since June 13 when he was indicted on the rape charge.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police found Odom at the uptown public housing complex, Victoria Square Apartments, and authorities believe he has family in Charlotte.It’s an area where children are known to play outside.

“It hurts my heart and it just makes me want to continue to pray and be more aware of who our young people are with,” Rev. Darnell Edwards.

Detectives said he may have been hiding in the area for months.

A spokesperson for the Charlotte Housing Authority said Odom was an unauthorized guest who was not on a lease.