The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 19-year-old Julian Valdez in connection with a suspicious encounter involving children walking home from Lake Trafford Elementary School last week.
Valdez, a resident of Immokalee, faces felony charges of luring and enticing a child while wearing a mask and a public order offense for wearing a mask on a public street.
The investigation began at approximately 3:08 p.m. when a group of children reported an encounter on Lake Trafford Road. According to witness statements provided to deputies, a man emerged from behind bushes and offered the children a bag of chips while urging them to approach him…