A Louisville man is behind bars after police say he groped a 14-year-old girl and tried to follow her as she was searching her neighborhood for her lost dog. Lonza Manuel, 47, was arrested around 1 p.m. on the Fourth of July after police responded to a call reporting a possible kidnapping attempt in the 2700 block of Crums Lane, which is in Shively.
Incident Details
The caller reported that a shirtless Hispanic man was allegedly trying to grab a teenage girl. According to Shively Police, the teen had left her home to look for her family’s dog when a man approached her and asked for money. When she said she had none, Manuel reportedly began touching her, grabbing her shirt and tearing it, and inappropriately grabbed her multiple times.
Officers who responded to the scene found a man matching the suspect’s description a few blocks away. Manuel denied having any contact with the victim, and officers said they could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from him. After officers brought Manuel back to the girl’s house, she was able to identify him, and he was arrested.
He’s charged with first-degree sexual abuse, harassment with physical contact and public intoxication. He’s set to appear in court for his arraignment Monday morning.
Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.
