The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 19-year-old Julian Valdez in connection with a suspicious encounter involving children walking home from Lake Trafford Elementary School last week.
Valdez, a resident of Immokalee, faces felony charges of luring and enticing a child while wearing a mask and a public order offense for wearing a mask on a public street.
The investigation began at approximately 3:08 p.m. when a group of children reported an encounter on Lake Trafford Road. According to witness statements provided to deputies, a man emerged from behind bushes and offered the children a bag of chips while urging them to approach him.
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One child told investigators they observed the man retreat behind the brush to put on a ski mask. The children fled the scene when the man briefly ran after them before he eventually turned around and left the area.
Law enforcement described the suspect as a thin male with curly black hair, standing between 6 feet 1 inch and 6 feet 2 inches tall. At the time of the incident, he was reportedly wearing a black hoodie and blue pajama-style pants featuring a white logo.
Following an investigation into the report, detectives identified Valdez as a suspect. Authorities located him at his residence on Thursday night.
After an interview with detectives, Valdez was taken into custody and transported to the Collier County Jail.
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