LAKEPORT >> A man wanted in connection with two alleged attempts in Lakeport to lure female juveniles into his car two years ago was arrested without incident in White Plains, New York.
Koyi Daron Gillis, 24, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals last week. He was booked into New York’s Westchester County Correctional Facility where he currently remains in custody.
According to Lakeport Chief of Police Brad Rasmussen, the extradition process is pending and the Lakeport Police Department intends to bring Gillis back to Lake County to face charges. This process could take as long as 30 days.
The arrest followed two years of investigation that led to the District Attorney’s office filing a complaint against Gillis on July 20 charging him with two felony counts of attempting to kidnap a child under 14 and one count of possession of obscene matter depicting a person under 18.
A Lake County Superior Court judge issued a felony arrest warrant for the charges with a bail amount of $300,000.
In late July, LPD contacted the United States Marshals Service for assistance in locating and arresting Gillis. Federal marshals found him on August 3 and immediately placed him under arrest.
The alleged incidents took place in October of 2015. In the first, an 11 year old female reported that a male subject attempted to lure her into his vehicle on the morning of October 16 of that year at the bus stop in the 400 block of N. Forbes St.
She described a black male subject, driving a white 4 door compact type vehicle who watched her and then told her to get in the car. The juvenile reported her 8 year old brother told the male subject to leave and he drove away.
The second report, this time of an incident on October 20, 2015, was similar. An 8 year old said that a black male subject attempted to lure her into his vehicle at the bus stop in the 400 block of N. Forbes St. When the bus came, the male subject drove away.
On October 21, 2015 officers requeste public assistance identifying a suspect in two reported attempts to lure a child. Five days later, as a result of community leads, police were able to identify Gillis.
Officers conducted surveillance and located Gillis in Lakeport. The investigation continued and interviews with Gillis were conducted. On October 28, 2015 officers served a search warrant at his Lower Lake residence, where items of evidence including computer equipment were seized.
“After the search warrant service at Gillis’ residence, officers received information that he left California for New York,” Rasmussen said in a prepared statement.
A LPD detective continued this investigation to include an additional search warrant for forensic examination of seized computer equipment. According to police reports, the investigation revealed child pornography stored on the device.
Upon completion of the investigation, LPD submitted the case to the Lake County District Attorney for review.
“I appreciate the public assistance and the diligent work of our officers and investigators and the USMS in bringing this case to conclusion,” Rasmussen said.
