A Dallas man is behind bars after police said he drugged and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl who had run away from home.
Dallas police arrested 62-year-old David Klepak after investigating the alleged assault at an East Dallas duplex along Winton Drive. Officers remained outside the home, which had become a crime scene, following the arrest.
According to an arrest affidavit, the teen left home last Wednesday and told police she was walking to clear her mind when Klepak approached her in his car and offered her a ride home. She told investigators she quickly realized he was driving in the wrong direction.
Police said Klepak offered the girl methamphetamine, referred to as “ice,” before taking her to his home and sexually assaulting her. Investigators said the teen stayed there for three days before leaving.
“This is a very sick man, because this wasn’t planned. This was a crime of opportunity,” Alfonso Solis said.
Solis, who runs a search-and-rescue nonprofit, said the girl’s family contacted him after she disappeared.
“That’s the worst day of their life. You know, they’re calling me in their darkest hour. They’re desperate. So the first thing that I do is start asking questions,” Solis said.
Solis said volunteers canvassed the area looking for Ring camera footage and witnesses but found no sightings of the teen.
He said someone eventually spotted the girl several days later and contacted him.
“Someone saw her down the street, and then they reached out to me and grandma, told me where she was,” Solis said.
Solis, who also educates the public about human trafficking, said this case was unusual because, in many similar situations, victims are specifically targeted. He urged parents to pay close attention to their children’s devices.
Klepak remains in the Dallas County jail. Jail records show he is being held on a $300,000 bond.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
