A 47-year-old Santa Rosa man was arrested Friday for attempting to lure a 13-year-old girl into his car as she walked home from school, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reported.
The girl was walking home at 2 p.m. in the unincorporated area of Larkfield in Sonoma County on Wednesday when a man allegedly pulled up next to her in a silver Pontiac Grand Prix.
Sheriff's deputies said the man told the girl she was pretty and asked if she wanted a ride.
The man reportedly opened his car door for her, saying his window was broken. The girl refused, deputies said, but the man continued talking to her and asked for her phone number.
The suspect noticed an AT&T technician nearby and left the scene, deputies said. The worker was able to provide a license plate but it did not turn up a record.
After trying a few different combinations, deputies matched the license plate with a 90s Pontiac vehicle from Sebastopol.
The owner of the car was brought in for questioning, and he said he recently sold the car to 47-year-old Timothy James Kottler.
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Deputies said they eventually found Kottler, who is homeless, at a rescue shelter in downtown Santa Rosa at 5 p.m. on Friday.
After questioning, police arrested Kottler for annoying or molesting a victim younger than 18. He has been released on bail, deputies said, but he is believed to be a possible threat to the community.
