Police Arrest Transient at Lake Elsinore Park on Suspicion of Harming Juveniles

By City News Service, image via Shutterstock

A 24-year-old man was in custody Monday morning, suspected of grabbing a girl and threatening to harm her in a Lake Elsinore park and throwing a rock that hit another juvenile in the leg, police said.

The incident happened at Lake Elsinore City Park in the 200 block of Main Street at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, said Lake Elsinore police Sgt. Todd Grimm.

“Four juveniles were playing in the city park. One of the juveniles noticed a male adult staring at her,” Grimm said. “The juvenile made a comment to the subject, who then grabbed her and made threats of bodily harm. The juvenile was able to escape the subject’s grasp and along with the other juveniles run from the location. As the juveniles fled, the subject threw a rock striking one of the juveniles in the leg.”

The man fled the park but was located in a business at Main and Flint streets about 5:30 p.m. Sunday and arrested.

The suspect was identified as 24-year-old John Mann, a transient who was booked into the Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury and criminal threats. He was held in lieu of $25,000 bail, with a court appearance at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center set for Wednesday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.