Homeless Sex Offender Tries to Lure Girl at Covina Park: Police

COVINA, CA - A 46-year-old transient suspected of trying to lure a 4-year-old girl into the men's restroom of a Covina park Friday morning was arrested and found to be a sex offender who failed to properly register with authorities.

Officers responded about 11 a.m. to the park and learned that the child's mother prevented her daughter from going with the suspect, who was later identified as Matthew James Smith, according to Covina police Sgt. Gregg Peterson.

The girl's mother did not confront Smith, but kept an eye on him and pointed him out when officers arrived at the park, Peterson said.

Smith was still in the park when officers arrived and detained him pending further investigation, Peterson said.

"Initially, the suspect denied having any contact with the victim; however, he was positively identified and placed under citizen's arrest for child annoyance ...," Peterson said.

The officers learned Smith was an out of compliance sex registrant and he now faces a possible charge of failing to register as a sex offender, Peterson said.

No information about his previous sex offense conviction was made available.

Smith was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail and is due in court in West Covina on Monday, Peterson said.

--City News Service, photo courtesy of the Covina Police Department