Rockvam said that according to an friend who was with the girl, the man had asked the two girls to help him find his black Lab puppy and the girl had agreed to help.g
The friend reported the incident to police at about 4:33 p.m., Rockvam said, an estimated 45 minutes after the girl had been taken. An Amber Alert was issued at 6:43 p.m.
A party of hunters found the girl walking down Spirit Mountain Road (also known as Carter Mountain Access Road) outside Cody around 8:15 p.m., Rockvam said. The girl reported having been sexually assaulted by the man before being let go, Rockvam said. The girl reported that the man had brandished a pistol to get her to enter the vehicle at the Park County Complex, the release said.
Please keep her in your thoughts," said Cody Police Officer John Harris in a Monday night posting on Facebook.
The man is described as having short strawberry blonde hair or white hair and a neatly trimmed strawberry blonde or white mustache or beard, according to the release. He reportedly weighs between 185 and 200 pounds. He was reported to have been wearing a brown shirt, blue jeans and a tan baseball-styled cap, Rockvam said.
The vehicle has been described as a white SUV, possibly a suburban, with two seats up front and an open back compartment area with a mattress on the floor, Rockvam said. A black and red backpack was reportedly tied to a roof rack and a package of bottled water strapped or tied to both the top of the vehicle and the backpack
"Information reported is that it appears that the subject may possibly be living out of the vehicle," Rockvam said. "At this time, there is no information available as to a possible license plate."
Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wyoming DIvision of Criminal Investigation are assisting with the investigation, he said.
"Due to the Carter Mountain area being a common area for hunters this time of year, the Cody Police Department is seeking any information from hunters that have been hunting in the area recently that may be able to provide information on possible leads," said Rockvam in the release. "If you have any information that may assist in helping to identify and/or locate the suspect, we ask that you contact the Cody Police Department at 307-527-8700."
A candelight vigil has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of the Cody Recreation Center, where local church leaders will lead prayers.
"It is a time to lend our support to the (girl's) family and reflect on the importance of community and teaching our children some important life lessons," said KODI news director David Koch in an email.
Editor's note: This version of the story removes the name of the girl.