Porterville man attempts to lure girl into bushes, police say

March 13 update: The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges in the case for now, and asked Porterville police to conduct an additional investigation, according to DA spokesman Stuart Anderson.

A Porterville man was arrest over the weekend, accused of attempting to kidnap a 14-year-old girl, according to the Porterville Police Department.

At around 4 p.m. Saturday, officers were called to the area of Westwood Street and Luisa Avenue.

The girl told police she was walking on Westwood Street when a man, later identified by police as Brian Phillips, 32, attempted to lure her into bushes.

The girl ran and reported the incident to police. Officers located Phillips who matched the description given by the girl. She later identified him as the suspect, police said.

Phillips was booked in Tulare County jail on suspicion of attempted kidnapping and suspicion of being under the influence.

This story was originally published March 10, 2019 at 5:42 PM.