Cowlitz County Sheriff deputies arrested a Woodland man Wednesday for suspicion of attempting to lure a 12-year-old into his truck while the student was at a bus stop in a rural part of Woodland.
James Lee Porter, 57, is facing charges of luring and making a false statement, according to Cowlitz County Jail records.
The Woodland School District reported on May 31 a man tried to lure the student into his white Toyota truck with a cargo rack while the minor was at the bus stop on South Cloverdale Road, according to a sheriff’s office press release.
He reportedly told the student two scary men were approaching them, but no one else was seen in the area. The minor did not know the suspect.
Four days later, the student told the bus driver the same man had driven past the bus. After reviewing the school bus footage, deputies located the suspect’s truck Wednesday at a home in the 2200 block of South Cloverdale Road, across the highway from Martin Island.
Porter’s bail is set at $10,000. A no-contact order has been issued, and he has a court-appointed attorney representing him. He is scheduled to plead guilty or not guilty June 17 in Cowlitz County Superior Court.
Anyone with more information about this incident or other similar occurrences is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 360-577-3092 regarding case A24-10499.
