SHALIMAR, Fla. — A Shalimar man was arrested yesterday after a 15-year-old girl reported he followed her around in his car as she was walking, and at one point, reportedly pulled up to her, took off his seat belt, reached towards her, and told her to “come here”.
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies have charged Cesar Reyes Perez, 41, with aggravated stalking of a child under the age of 16 and attempted kidnapping, according to an OCSO press release.
The victim says she was walking south near 8th Street around noon when she noticed a man wearing an orange shirt in an orange Mazda sitting at the intersection and motioning her over to his car.
She kept walking, but a short time later saw he was driving behind her very slowly. He pulled his car up beside her and took off his seat belt, according to the report.
The girl moved away, and the man then reportedly parked on 6th Avenue for several minutes.
The teen approached someone to ask for help. The witness told deputies he saw the orange car and the driver sitting there. He says the driver was staring at them both for several minutes before pulling away.
Deputies report that they found the man and the car matching the victim’s description in the parking lot of 100 8th Avenue.
Cesar Reyes Perez denied leaving his residence or driving anywhere and told OCSO deputies he’d been sleeping because he was still intoxicated from the night before.
Cesar Reyes Perez denied having any contact with the victim and later said he let his friend drive his car.