CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – An Illinois man is behind bars for allegedly attempting to lure a teenage girl into a semi-truck at the Clarion Walmart store.
Court documents indicate 31-year-old Roderick Andreus King, of Flossmoor, Illinois, was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jarah Lee Heeter at 5:00 p.m. on October 3, on the following charges:
– Interference With Custody Of Children, Felony 3
– Criminal Attempt – Lure Child Into Motor Vehicle, Misdemeanor 1
Unable to post $50,000.00 monetary bail, he was lodged in the Clarion County Jail.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred at the Clarion Walmart store in early March.
According to a criminal complaint, around 2:42 p.m. on March 5, Clarion-based State Police received a report of a truck driver harassing two juveniles, a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old, at the Clarion Walmart store in Monroe Township.
The juvenile victims reported they had been followed and approached by an unidentified black male while they were walking from one section of the store to another. The man followed them and attempted to get their attention when they slowed down because of someone in an electric shopping cart in front of them, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the victims told Trooper McBride, of PSP Clarion, that the man then started directing his attention and questions toward the 16-year-old. He asked if she lived in the area, questioned as to why she was dressed up, asked to add her on Facebook, asked for her phone number, and asked if she had Instagram or SnapChat. The victim did not give the man any information, although the victims reported he was “very persistent.”
According to the complaint, the unidentified man then asked the 16-year-old to “step aside,” so the 14-year-old did not hear what he had to ask. The 16-year-old stepped to the side with the man, who then reportedly asked if he could pay her “$500 to hang out with him or go somewhere for like a half an hour.” The 16-year-old turned down the request, and the man reportedly repeated “$500.” The 16-year-old then turned around and motioned for the 14-year-old to leave with her.
The victims reported they then hurried through the store, making sure they were not being followed by the man, before completing their purchase at a self-checkout and leaving the store, the complaint states.
Video surveillance footage that was obtained from the Walmart store showed the man exiting the passenger side of a semi-truck and entering the store. The man can be seen following the victims through the store, then using a self-checkout before exiting the store, then getting into a white semi-truck, the complaint states.
It is unknown if there were one or more occupants in the truck, and the identifiers and registration plate on the truck were unidentifiable, the complaint indicates.
Through the aid of search warrant legal process and photo identification, the man was identified as Roderick Andreus King, according to the complaint.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on October 20 with Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill presiding.
Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.
