A Levittown man faces charges after allegedly attempting to lure an 11-year-old boy into his pickup truck, according to Falls Township police.
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Gene Louis Martin, 54, of Falls Township’s Levittown section, was preliminarily arraigned Friday afternoon on a charge of attempting to lure a child into a vehicle. He was preliminarily arraigned before District Judge John Galloway and held on 10 percent of $250,000 bail. The judge further ordered the defendant to have no contact with the boy or any minor and stay away from schools.
The incident occurred at 3:50 p.m. on Thursday when Martin, who was driving a white 2000 Chevy S-10, allegedly approached the boy walking on Pebble Lane and invited him into his vehicle, police said.
“Hey kid, I live around here. Get in,” Martin allegedly said while he motioned for the boy to come in.
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The boy fled and alerted his parents, who contacted the authorities, police said.
Investigators used surveillance footage to identify the pickup truck and noted the boy’s description of the man, police said.
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Officers searched the area and located the older pickup truck, which has license plate ZNZ 4315, in the 40 block of Nearwood Lane, police said.
According to court papers, Martin was identified as the owner of the vehicle.
Police arrested Martin Friday as their investigation progressed.
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“I commend the victim for his response to what was clearly a very frightening situation,” District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. “Despite just being 11 years old, he had the wherewithal to not engage with the man who was attempting to lure him into his vehicle, and ran then made a prompt report.”
“In his report, he provided a detailed description of the perpetrator and his truck. This allowed the Falls Township police to act swiftly in locating and apprehending the defendant. We praise this child for his bravery.”
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Investigators believe Martin may have been involved in similar incidents and are seeking public assistance in the case.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective David Gold at 215-302-3325 or d.gold@fallstwppd.com. Those with tips can also contact police 215-949-9120 or tiplines@fallstwppd.com.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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