A Mundelein area man was arrested after he tried to solicit a sex act from a 14-year-old girl, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.
Homero Sotero-Ocampo, 41, of the 300 block of Shady Lane, was charged with indecent solicitation of a minor following the Thursday incident, police said.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 26300 block of Diamond Lake Road at around 3 p.m. and spoke to the girl, who told police she was standing near her home when a pickup truck stopped near her. The driver asked if she was 13 or 14 years old and then asked her to engage in a sex act, authorities said.
The girl ran to her home and told her parents, who called the police.
Police obtained video of the truck from a neighbor’s doorbell camera, and another neighbor told police that they thought they had seen the truck on Shady Lane. Police went there and found a similar truck in the 300 block.
The girl later identified Sotero-Ocampo, who was charged with the solicitation count, police said.
“This incident is a powerful reminder of how important it is to talk with our children about personal safety,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “This young victim showed tremendous awareness. She recognized something was wrong, removed herself from the situation, and told her parents immediately.
“Her actions, combined with the exceptional work of our deputies and detectives, led to the swift arrest of a dangerous offender,” he said.
Prosecutors are seeking to have Sotero-Ocampo detained as he awaits trial.
