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

A Washington man was arrested for allegedly trying to lure a child into his white pickup truck. June 6, 2024 (Courtesy of Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office).

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

Woodland resident James Lee Porter was identified as the owner of a white Toyota pickup truck with a trunk that allegedly approached a 12-year-old girl at a school bus stop, according to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.

On May 31, law enforcement said the girl told deputies that a man repeatedly tried to get her into a truck near South Cloverdale Road, saying she was being approached by “two scary men nearby.” However, the student did not see anyone else nearby or know the man, and her parents never gave her permission to enter someone else’s vehicle.

The truck reportedly passed the school bus and the student told the driver about it on Tuesday. Authorities were then able to obtain surveillance video from the school bus, identifying a car that matched a vehicle owned by Porter located at 2200 South Cloverdale Road.

Porter was subsequently arrested, booked into the Cowlitz County Jail and charged with luring. The sheriff’s office released a photo of the truck, asking residents to come forward if they have any information about other incidents involving it.