FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno Police say they’ve caught the person who allegedly tried to lure school children into a car.
Fresno Police say it was 7:15 in the morning, back on August 26th when it first happened.
A middle school aged girl says she was approached by a man in a vehicle when she was walking to the bus stop near Vinland Middle School at Maple and Gettysburg in Fresno.
She told police the man asked her if she wanted a ride and when she refused, he got agitated and exposed himself to her.
He then reportedly moved onto three other girls near the bus stop and repeated the pattern with all of them.
“That individual’s description is a black male adult in his 20’s, with a beard,” said Captain Mindy Casto, describing his car as a 3 or 4 year old Mazda C3.
Then on Wednesday, August 28th police got a report that 3 girls were kidnapped on their way to Centennial Elementary School.
The man offered the girls a ride and they got into the vehicle, but the man did not drive in the direction of Centennial but rather drove someplace else where some inappropriate sexual related activity happened.
The girls were not physically harmed and were able to get out of the vehicle.
The girls did not report what happened until one of them got home and told a family member, who called the Fresno Police Department.
Police officers canvased the area, conducted interviews and collected video from homes and apartments in the area.
A vehicle was identified and located on Thursday, September 5th.
Police located the owner of the car and the girls were able to confirm him to be the suspect.
Police made an arrest of 25-year-old Dennis Clark, who was taken into custody where he confessed to the crimes..
He was booked into the Fresno County Jail on charges of kidnapping, annoying and molesting, and indecent exposure.
His bail has been set at $183,000 dollars.
Police believe there may be other victims.
If you have any information, you’re asked to call the Fresno Police Department at (559) 621-7000.
Police also asked that you talk to your children and make sure they know not to ever get into a stranger’s car.
Click to hear the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
