Police: Man grabs teen girl at Arlington park in rape attempt

Published 11:00 am Tuesday, August 6, 2019

ARLINGTON — A man allegedly grabbed a 16-year-old girl by the arm early Monday afternoon at Legion Memorial Park, intending to sexually assault her, according to an Arlington police report.

The girl said she was afraid that she was going to be “kidnapped, killed or raped,” according to court papers.

The Arlington man, 45, was smiling, but had a firm voice during the encounter around 1:15 p.m., the girl reportedly told police. “C’mon go to the bathroom with me,” he said, according to court papers.

She said no, and pulled her arm away. The man’s grip allegedly became tighter. The police report notes that he weighs 450 pounds.

The girl moved to grab her pepper spray when the man asked if she was waiting for someone. She said she was waiting for a friend. He let her go and walked away.

She later went to the Arlington Police Department with her father and explained what happened and helped identify the man, with whom officers were familiar.

Police arrested the man around 8:15 p.m. at his mother’s home, a little over three miles away. He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of second degree kidnapping with sexual motivation.

In an interview with officers, the man reportedly said the girl “was playing games with him.” He said the girl had been following him, so he planned to take her into the bathroom and have “some sexual fun,” according to court papers.

“Fortune favors the bold,” he reportedly told officers.

An officer asked the man what he would think if he saw a newspaper headline describing someone else attempting the same thing.

The man said he’d call that person a rapist.

Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; zbryan@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @zachariahtb.