Orem Teen Says Man Tried To Lure Her Into SUV
Sep 9, 2019, 11:12 PM | Updated: Jul 16, 2023, 4:11 pm
OREM, Utah – A 15-year-old girl was hoping someone can identify the driver she said followed her for multiple blocks before trying to lure her into his SUV.
Clara Blackburn said she was walking home from Orem High School Monday afternoon when the man finally stopped the vehicle and got out near 300 North and 200 East.
“He was like, ‘could I ask you a question?’” Blackburn said.
She said the questions grew increasingly concerning, from “do you live around here?” to “how about you play a quick game with me and I can kiss you?” to “could I take you on a date right now?”
Blackburn said the man tried multiple times to lure her into his dark gray SUV.
“He walked after me for a couple of steps, saying, ‘oh, come on,’ you know, and then he got in his car and drove into the church parking lot across the street,” Blackburn said.
Orem Police Lieutenant Trent Colledge said officers were looking into the matter.
The family said it hopes police and the public alike took the case seriously.
“This is definitely predatory behavior,” said Clara’s father George Blackburn. “It’s important that people — if they know him, if they’re around him — that they recognize that, ‘hey, this guy needs some help.’”
He said he feared the behavior may turn into something worse.
“Behaviors like these do escalate when they’re not checked,” he said.
The teen described the man as between the ages of 18 and 20, with brown curly hair, sideburns and stubble and a blue-and-white tie-dye shirt.
The family hoped anybody with information would report it to Orem Police Department at 801-229-7070.
“I’ve always heard those stories and I never thought that would happen to me,” the teenager said. “I was shaking and crying and I was like, ‘I can’t believe that just happened!’”
