Police searching for man who lured 11-year-old Mountlake Terrace girl on Snapchat

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. — Police are searching for a suspected child predator after the boy an 11-year-old Mountlake Terrace girl thought she was meeting turned out to be an adult man.

The girl met the suspect, who claimed he was 14, on Snapchat. After chatting, the two agreed to meet near Mountlake Terrace Elementary School.

The Mountlake Terrace Police Department says the girl and a friend went to the location when they were approached by a man in his 20s who tried to lure the girls into his car, but they refused.

Police say the suspect circled around the area before leaving.

The suspect is described as a man in his 20s with a mustache driving a light blue sedan.

Edmonds School District spokesperson Harmony Weinberg released the following statement in response to the luring incident:

“As a school community we take the safety of our students and staff very seriously. We are grateful our students were not physically harmed in this incident and did the right thing by running away and calling police. We do everything we can to make sure we are annually teaching all of our students in our district digital citizenship, which includes cyber bullying and cyber safety. We are continuously researching the latest technology on safety and security. Following this incident we are taking further steps by holding a special assembly where the head of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will talk about internet safety and cyber bullying to 5th and 6th graders at Mountlake Terrace Elementary School.”

If you have any information about the suspect, you’re asked to contact detectives at (425) 670-8260.