Seattle Police said a 31-year-old West Seattle man was arrested on June 18 for attempting to lure a 13-year-old child into his car in South Seattle.

According to SPD Detective Renee Witt, the victim was walking home from a community center near her apartment on the 3700 block of S. Angeline St. when she noticed a man leering at her from his silver BMW. She was becoming increasingly worried, “and was afraid the man was going to get out of his car and come after her,” as he slowly followed, honking his horn and flashing his brights at her.

The girl said she attempted to take an alternate route to her home (hoping to lose the man), but when she emerged from the back route she saw his vehicle parked directly across the street from the apartment. The suspect then yelled at the girl to get inside his car. Instead, she ran screaming and crying to a family acquaintances door.

The acquaintance took her inside, called 911 and armed herself with a kitchen knife. Not content with simply hunkering in, she ensured the girl’s safety and went outside to get a look at the suspect and his vehicle. She told police she yelled at the man for attempting to pick up a 13-year-old girl.

Instead of leaving the scene of the crime (luring in this case), the man stayed put and the woman who helped the girl pointed him out to police as they arrived.

Witt said the man got out of his vehicle and started “casually” walking towards the apartment, “but did not seem to know where to go to get inside the building.”

He was contacted by police at that time and claimed he was simply there to visit his friend “Juan” in apartment #12. Police checked with the tenants inside #12 and they confirmed there was no Juan and they did not know the suspect.

The West Seattle man, who hasn’t been identified at this time, was booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Luring.