Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

A foreign national has been detained after allegedly attempting to lure two middle school girls on a street by offering to share a watermelon with them.

The Seongnam Branch of Suwon District Court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday against a Pakistani national identified only as A, who faces charges of attempted abduction of a minor, citing concerns over destruction of evidence and flight risk.

A is accused of approaching two middle school girls on a street in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, at around 9:34 p.m. Monday, offering them a watermelon and inviting them to eat it with him in his vehicle. Even after the girls refused and walked away, he allegedly followed them for tens of meters, continuing to press his offer.

Police arrested A on an emergency basis after the victims filed a report.

Investigators initially considered releasing A, concluding that the charges were not clear-cut during the early stages of the probe. However, a review of nearby CCTV footage the following day revealed that A had persistently pursued the girls even after being turned down, leading investigators to determine that his actions were intentional and to apply for an arrest warrant.

The court held a pre-arrest hearing for A that day and issued the warrant, citing concerns over destruction of evidence and flight risk.


choigo@heraldcorp.com