Washington man arrested for allegedly trying to lure child into his truck

The truck allegedly approached a little girl at a bus stop.

PORTLAND, OregonKOIN) — A 57-year-old Washington man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly trying to lure a child into his vehicle.

According to the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, Woodland resident James Lee Porter was identified as the owner of a white Toyota pickup truck equipped with a cargo rack that allegedly approached a 12-year-old girl in his school bus stop.

On May 31, law enforcement said the girl told deputies that a man repeatedly tried to convince her to get into the truck near South Cloverdale Road, telling her that “two scary men nearby” were approaching her. However, the student did not see anyone else around, nor did she know the man, and her parents never gave permission to get into anyone else's vehicle.

The truck allegedly overtook the school bus and the student told the bus driver Tuesday. After that, authorities were able to obtain surveillance video from the school bus, identifying the car, which matched a vehicle owned by Porter and located in the 2200 block of South Cloverdale Road.

Porter was later arrested, booked into the Cowlitz County Jail and faces a charge of luring. The sheriff's office shared a photo of the truck, asking the public to come forward if they have any information on other incidents involving it.