"He was buzzed into the day care. I spoke with them yesterday. They thought he was with her," Reynolds said.

"They should have known something was up. This could have been prevented," Reynolds added.

Employees at the center yesterday declined to comment.

Darby said the man followed Reynolds' daughter after she left the center and threatened to shoot her if she didn't stay with him.

They wandered six blocks to a yard on Westmoreland, where the girl was raped several times, Darby said.

"She didn't deserve this," said Cynthia Orr, the victim's aunt. "That girl never hurt nobody."

"He's going to burn in hell for that," she added. "He wouldn't want someone doing that to his kids."

A manhunt was soon born, with Carrasquillo the focus, even though he was not formally accused of the crime.

The Fraternal Order of Police offered $10,000 to anyone who could help get Carrasquillo into custody by 5 p.m. yesterday. Carrasquillo was apprehended about an hour earlier.

Last night, FOP president John McNesby said two Kensington residents who helped apprehend Carrasquillo were going to receive the reward. "They stepped up big time," he said.

Indeed, few in law enforcement expected the show of community force that was displayed about 4 p.m. yesterday under the red, white and blue awning of the Villa Tapia convenience store at Front and Clearfield streets.

That's where, police said, an angry mob confronted Carrasquillo. Many residents who applauded the attackers crowded into the store last night to watch a surveillance tape of the beating.

Kris Torres and Louis Rodriguez, two neighborhood kids, said they spotted Carrasquillo wearing a gray T-shirt, dark jeans and carrying a black trash bag.

"Aren't you the guy who raped the little girl?" Torres said he asked.

Carrasquillo told Torres that he wasn't the rapist and claimed he had daughters of his own.

"No, I'm not having it," Torres said he replied.

Punches were thrown and a mob beating ensued.

"Everyone in the neighborhood were looking for him," Torres said. "Everyone came together. We feel as though we did a good thing."

Rodriguez added: "We held him down to make sure he didn't go anywhere."

Patrol cops who were in the area looking for Carrasquillo happened upon the scene and intervened, said Deputy Police Commissioner Thomas Wright.