A 67-year-old Sioux Falls man, Jackie Lee Harms, has been arrested on a charge of enticing away a child, a misdemeanor, after allegedly attempting to lure a child into his car in front of the child’s mother.
According to court documents, the incident took place in North Central Sioux Falls back in August, where a family walking from Cherry Rock Park noticed a car following them.
The vehicle repeatedly pulled ahead of the group, stopped as they passed, and then drove forward again, raising suspicion.
The family had previously seen the same man at a gas station, and surveillance footage from there played a crucial role in the investigation.
Harms, described as an older white man weighing close to 300 pounds, was driving a white smart car.
Authorities noted no prior connection between Harms and the alleged victim, and Harms denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was looking for a place to eat his Taco Bell.
Despite the nature of the incident, such occurrences are considered extremely rare in Sioux Falls.
Harms has no previous criminal history in South Dakota.