A Philadelphia man has been charged with attempting to lure a girl into his pickup truck in Upper Darby, and police are asking the public if anyone has had similar interactions with the same male.
Dwayne Austin, 46, of the 5900 block of Cedar Avenue, was charged with stalking and luring a child into a motor vehicle.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Detective Kevin Knapp:
Officers were called Monday shortly before 11:30 a.m. to the 8200 block of West Chester Pike for a suspicious vehicle following a juvenile child.
Police made contact with the child, who said she was walking south on Cedar Lane toward the Wawa when a white pickup truck came near and the driver told her to “get in the truck.”
She told him to leave her alone and went to the Wawa, when the truck approached again. This time, the driver asked her to be “friends with benefits.”
She flagged down an adult, who then confronted the pickup truck driver, and he fled the lot.
Police reviewed surveillance video that showed the pickup, however there was no license plate on the vehicle.
Police distributed photos from the video throughout their department and Sgt. Kellar advised investigators he was able to identify the vehicle through a license plate reader that showed Austin as the registered owner.
A photo array with Austin and six other individuals of similar physical features was shown to the victim. She positively identified Austin as the man in the truck.
DMV records show Austin is the registered owner of a white 2020 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck.
Austin was arraigned before District Judge Dawn L. Vann, who set bail at 10 percent of $40,000, which Austin has not posted. He was taken to the Delaware County prison.
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt praised the courage of the child.
“We are very fortunate this incident did not end differently,” Bernhardt said in an email. “The courage and awareness of this 13-year-old girl cannot be overstated. She refused a ride, recognized something was wrong, and sought help at Wawa. A good Samaritan did the right thing and assisted her.”
Bernhardt noted that when confronted, Austin attempted to conceal his identity by removing his license plate and fleeing the scene.
“Thanks to the quick response and solid work of our patrol officers and detectives, the suspect was identified and taken into custody last night,” Bernhardt said, while also questioning the bail set by the district judge.
“I am very concerned about the low bail set for this individual. He has two known addresses, one local and one in Philadelphia, and a criminal history that includes guilty pleas to statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors. This raises serious public safety concerns,” Bernhardt said. “If this young girl had not sought help, and if a good Samaritan had not stepped in, the outcome could have been worse.”
Police ask anyone who may have had prior contact with the suspect or with this white Dodge pickup truck to contact police at 610-734-7693 or reach out through the department’s social media platforms.