Man arrested after allegedly holding knife to girl's throat during attempted kidnapping in Reading
The suspect allegedly had previous contact with the girl through social media, after posing as a juvenile boy, police said.
READING, Pa. -- A man has been arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap a girl in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Liam Ishmael Wilkinson is facing several charges, including attempted kidnapping, attempted unlawful restraint and false imprisonment, and attempted luring a child, among others.
Police responded to a report of a robbery in the 600 block of Ritter Street on October 11.
When they arrived, they determined that a juvenile girl had been approached by an unknown man in an alleyway. That man has since been identified as Wilkinson.
Police say Wilkinson had previous contact with the girl through social media, after posing as a juvenile boy.
After convincing the victim to meet him outside, police say Wilkinson attempted to lure the girl into his vehicle. However, when she refused and tried to go home, he allegedly chased her, grabbed her from behind and held a knife to her throat while trying to force her into his vehicle.
Luckily, she managed to get away.
Police say Wilkinson took the girl's phone, which had fallen during the struggle.
He was taken into custody on an unknown date without incident, according to police.
Wilkinson is being held at the Berks County Prison on a $1 million bond.
Anyone with information about this incident or similar incidents is asked to call the Reading Police Department at 610-655-6116.
