Keith Lilliock: Man arrested for abducting 11-year-old girl, police rescues her via iPad's location
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YOUNGWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA: A young girl was abducted from a Dollar General store in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 2023, by a stranger. The perpetrator, Keith Lilliock, a 43-year-old self-proclaimed 'born-again' Christian, was later arrested for luring the 11-year-old girl into his car. The girl's iPad's location services played a critical role in locating her, leading to Lilliock's arrest.
According to the police, Lilliock approached the girl at the Dollar General store and talked to her for 20 minutes as per surveillance footage watched by the police, before offering her a ride. Pennsylvania state troopers responded to a report of a missing juvenile from Youngwood on March 26, 2023. She was seen riding a bicycle toward Youngwood before it was discovered near the BFS gas station, Westmoreland District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
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He allegedly touched her leg and stomach area under her shirt
He then drove her to his home in South Greensburg, where he allegedly touched her leg and stomach area under her shirt before leaving her in the car for five minutes while he went inside. The girl told police that she asked him to take her to a friend's house in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. However, she spent the night at Lilliock's house, but she still had her iPad with her, which investigators were able to use to locate her, reported Independent.
The Bloodhound team located her scent near a gas station
On the following day, the girl's bike was found at a BFS gas station where she had stopped to take a break during her journey to Pittsburgh, to see her sister. Apparently, a bloodhound team located her scent near the gas station, and law enforcement geolocated her at a home near Latrobe, the report mentioned.
Lilliock admitted to offering the girl a ride but denied touching her
Lilliock was charged with felony counts of luring a child into a motor vehicle and interfering with the custody of children. He was denied bond and taken to the Westmoreland County Prison. During interrogation, the outlet mentioned that Lilliock admitted to offering the girl a ride but denied touching her.
He told officers that he used to be a bad guy but had found Jesus and become a 'born-again Christian'. According to the statement, the victim told police she walked over to the Dollar General and was confronted by Lilliock who told her he would drive her to where she needed to go once he closed the store for the night. She allegedly told police she was trying to ride her bicycle to Pittsburgh to see her sister when she stopped at the gas station to take a break.