ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County deputies are searching for a man they said approached a 12-year-old girl in Avalon and attempted to lure her into his car over the weekend.
Investigators said the man approached the girl Saturday morning on Perdido Drive in the Waterford Trails neighborhood.
The man told the girl he was sent to pick her up, deputies said.
"Basically (he told her) your dad told me to come pick you up and take you to X location, You need to get in the car and come with me. She says, ‘I don't know who you.’ Apparently, he does it a second time, and then a third time and slows down and pulls up and slows down and pulls up again,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jeff WIliamson.
The fourth time the man approached the girl, she ran and told someone what happened, who in turn called authorities, deputies said.
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The girl was able to get a good look at the man and provided deputies a description so they could make a sketch.
She described the man to be in his late 40s with a slender build, receding hairline and gray hair. The girl told investigators he had a chipped front tooth and a tattoo on the left side of his neck.
Parents in the neighborhood, which has two elementary schools nearby, said they’re concerned.
“I will actually be out here waiting for my daughter when she gets off the bus and make sure all the kids on the block get home,” said parent Lethesha Lopez.
Anyone with information about the incident should contact deputies or call Crimeline at 800-423-8477.
Cox Media Group
