WALLA WALLA -- City police have arrested a man believed to have attempted to lure a youth, but detectives stressed this is likely not the same person who has made several attempts at luring children from a white vehicle this month.
On Thursday about 10 p.m., authorities arrested Jon Paul Saunders, 24, on suspicion of luring and second-degree attempted kidnapping. Saunders was booked into the County Jail.
Police made the arrest following a report by a 14-year-old girl that she had been approached and grabbed by a man.
The girl was riding her bicycle on the sidewalk in the 1300 block of University Street when a man blocked her path and started talking to her, according to a report.
The girl said the man asked if she wanted to "have some fun," then grabbed her hand and started to pull her toward a nearby home. She was able to free herself and get away when the man dropped his cell phone and bent down to pick it up.
With her help, police found Saunders at the residence that she said she was being dragged toward, at 1344 University St., and the arrest was made.
Detective Matt Wood said his agency continues to look for a man who has made several luring attempts on children in the past couple of weeks. Wood said Saunders is not believed to be connected to those cases because he has unique and visible tattoos that had not been described by witnesses in any of the other luring reports.
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