WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania man is behind bars after he allegedly lured a girl into his car and inappropriately touched her.
Keith Lilliock, 43, of Greensburg was arrested by state police after the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office said he offered the 11-year-old a ride on Sunday, then drove her to a home roughly 25 miles away.
Troopers were called to investigate a missing child who had last been seen riding her bicycle toward Youngwood. According to the DA’s office, the girl’s bike was later found at a gas station in the Pennsylvania borough.
Investigators, who were told the girl had an iPad, pinged the device to find her location, according to court documents. Authorities said the iPad’s location led them to a home in Latrobe, roughly 25 miles northeast of Youngwood.
The girl was found at the home shortly after and taken to the state police barracks in Greensburg.
According to the criminal complaint, the child told troopers she was riding her bike to Pittsburgh when she stopped at the gas station to take a break. She then walked to a nearby Dollar General store where she was approached by an unknown man, later determined to be Lilliock.
The girl claimed Lilliock told her he would drive her to where she wanted after he closed the store for the night.
She told troopers Lilliock drove her to his house in South Greensburg. He then left the vehicle and went inside for five minutes before returning to the car. The girl claimed Lilliock rubbed her leg and touched her stomach area under her shirt before she asked him to take her to a friend’s house in Latrobe, according to the DA’s office.
According to court documents, security camera video from inside the Dollar General store showed Lilliock talking with the girl for 20 minutes before they both walked to the back of the store.
State police later spoke to Lilliock who allegedly said he saw the girl walking on a sidewalk in front of the Dollar General and told her she could come into the store.
He said he then offered to give her a ride after he closed the store, according to police, claiming he only stopped at his house for gas money before taking the girl to Latrobe. Troopers noted he also abruptly said “I did not touch an 11-year-old” after he was asked if anything else happened inside his car with the girl.
Lilliock was arraigned on Tuesday and placed in the Westmoreland County Prison. His bail was denied out of concern for the safety of the community, according to Magisterial District Judge Scott Fanchalsky.
He’s charged with felony counts of luring a child into a motor vehicle and interference with the custody of children. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 14.
