Police arrested a 24-year-old man in relation to an alleged attempted abduction of a 16-year-old girl in Abbotsford on Saturday.
According to police, the girl was waiting at a bus stop on Old Yale Road near Mitchell Street just after 5 p.m. when a man in a van drove past her several times. Eventually the man parked his vehicle, approached the girl on foot before police said he tried to entice her to get in the van with him with offers of liquor and a ride to work. When the girl refused, police said the man grabbed her by the arm and attempted to pull her in the direction of his van.
The girl resisted and a passerby yelled at the suspect, causing him to flee.
Dwight Denis James Love-Paulson was charged with assault in relation to the attempted abduction. The 24-year-old has since been granted bail but cannot come into contact with the victim.
WATCH: Abbotsford Police thank Global News
“When the cops told me she was underage, I felt even worse,” Love-Paulson said Monday. “I asked her if she wanted to chill, have a drink or something, get to know people.
“I just thought I’d have a little fun and it turned out this whole thing just went right downhill.”
While Love-Paulson admitted he encountered the teen, he said he is innocent. He is due back in court on Oct. 31.
Following the arrest, police thanked a Global News crew that provided vital information while working in Abbotsford on Sunday.
The arrest came after Abbotsford Police released a description of a suspect with a distinctive teardrop tattoo who was driving a red or burgundy van. On Sunday, a Global News crew spotted someone matching that description not far from where the incident is alleged to have occurred.
“This was vitally important to make that arrest and, again, we have to thank Global News for the role they played in that.”
– With files from Amy Judd and John Hua
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