A distressing incident unfolded in Wilkinsburg as charges have been leveled against a man, Everantonio Cerrato-Orellana, after he reportedly attempted to lure a group of five children into a home on Sunday by falsely declaring himself a police officer and offering money. According to WTAE, the children, riding bikes in an alley near Center and Ewing streets, encountered Cerrato-Orellana, who pursued them as they were trying to flee the unsettling scene, the incident sparking panic and precipitating a police inquiry.
Upon being contacted, the mother of the children heroically led the officers to the Center Street home where Cerrato-Orellana was found; officers report he became verbally aggressive when questioned about his interaction with the children, during which he first claimed to be from Honduras, then contradicted himself by stating Mexican nationality, arriving in the United States two days prior, as mentioned in a criminal complaint referenced by WPXI.
Cerrato-Orellana now faces charges including five counts of luring a child into a vehicle, of which four are classed as felonies, and impersonating a public servant. He has been denied bail by a judge, citing him as a flight risk and a public safety risk. As the circumstances stand, the individual is currently held at Allegheny County Jail.
