Crime & Safety

Nearby: Police Use Surveillance Footage to Track Down Suspect in Richland Child-Luring Attempt

The former Butler County man tried to get a 17-year-old Pine-Richland student to get in the car with him, according to police.

The suspect in a possible child luring attempt in Richland Township was arrested Wednesday after Northern Regional Police used surveillance footage from a nearby GetGo gas station to track him down.

Mitchell Gregory Klein, 24, of West Sunbury, is charged with trying to lure a child into his car in Monday's incident.

According the police, a 17-year-old Pine-Richland student was getting off the bus at about 3 p.m. near her stop at Grandview Drive and Oakhill Drive when a male driver stopped his vehicle and offered her a ride, telling her “It is cold out there.”

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The girl refused the ride after the driver asked her several times to get in the vehicle, Amann said.

“He asked her three times,” he said. “After the first time she said no, and he continued to pursue attempting to have her get into the car to take that ride with him.”

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After the girl reported the incident to police, Amann said officers began checking with businesses in the area that use surveillance cameras in search of footage that may have recorded an image of the driver the girl described.

“They went to the GetGo on Route 8 at Grandview Drive, and they did have video of the suspect’s vehicle and of him walking into the store a short time before the school bus turned on to Grandview off Route 8,” Amann said.

The chief credited the teen for doing the right thing by immediately reporting the incident to her father, who in turn called police.

“We don’t mind investigating these types of calls,” Amann said. “If they come out to be nothing, that’s great. That’s the best outcome we could have on these child luring type incidents.”

Police also worked with the Pine-Richland School District to issue an alert to parents with a description of the driver and the dark blue car he was driving after the incident took place Monday. 

Amann said Klein recently moved to the Bakerstown Road area in West Deer from West Sunbury. Klein told police he was just trying to be a “nice guy” by offering the girl a ride, the chief said.

“At this point and time he’s admitting talking to the girl,” Amman said. “He said he was being a nice guy and just trying to give her a ride home because it was cold out on Monday.”

Klein was arraigned Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Suzanne Blaschak. When asked prior to his arraignment if he tried to lure the Richland teen into his car, Klein responded, "No, I did not."

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