Police are searching for a man they say lured a young girl into an alley for sex in Crotona Park East.

News 12 is told the 12-year-old girl was heading to a bodega in the middle of the afternoon when the incident occurred.

Police have released an image of the man they are looking for. They say he lured the girl into performing a sex act on Sunday around 3 p.m. near Tiffany Street. The girl told police a random man approached her and snatched her cellphone, luring her into the alley where the crime took place.

News 12 is told a witness walking by intervened when the person noticed what was happening. The suspect then took off running.

The good Samaritan quickly called 911, and the victim was taken to the hospital where she was evaluated. Police say she was not physically harmed.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.