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Westmoreland man wanted on Donora child-luring allegations

2 min read
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DONORA – A Westmoreland County man is facing accusations he tried to lure two girls into his vehicle in Donora.

District Judge Mark Wilson signed a warrant in the case Monday for the arrest of Michael Anthony Eckel, 36, of New Stanton, court records show.

Donora police accuse Eckel of approaching a 17-year-old girl about 9:45 a.m. May 7 in the 800 block of Thompson Avenue, the affidavit indicates.

The girl told police the suspect said, “Hey baby. How are you doing” before asking her for directions. She told him she did not know the place he was trying to find.

The man then asked her if he could use the GPS on her phone to find the destination, court records show.

The girl ran to friends and the suspect drove off in a white 2002 GMC Yukon. The girl jotted down the license plate information and told police the driver was a “big guy” with gray hair who was wearing a blue shirt, police said in charging documents.

Later the same day, a man matching that description parked his vehicle on McKean Street, near Sixth Street, and allegedly attempted to make contact with a 16-year-old girl who was riding a skateboard in a parking lot.

A man who knew the girl called her away from the suspect after she ran toward him, court records show.

Eckel is facing charges of luring a child into a motor vehicle.

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