A quick-thinking 14-year-old girl outsmarted a potential predator when she gave him her mother’s cell phone number instead of her own and the creep unknowingly traded graphic text messages with cops.
The Arizona teen was on her way home from school when she crossed the road in front of Isaiah Navarro’s car in a residential neighborhood in Glendale on Oct. 16, the Glendale Police Department shared in a statement on Facebook Wednesday.
Ring security video shows Navarro, 37, getting the girl’s attention as she crosses the road and he begins to try making conversation with the unidentified 14-year-old.
The teen told police that Navarro asked her where the “closest McDonald’s” was before randomly asking her to get into his car.
The 37-year-old quickly asked for the teen’s number when she wouldn’t accept his offer.
Wanting to get out of the situation as fast as possible but also not wanting to put herself at risk, she “thought wisely to punch her mother’s cell phone number into his phone,” police said.
Later that day, Navarro contacted the mother’s phone, believing it was the teen.
However, her mother had already turned the phone over to the police.
Detectives then engaged in conversation with the alleged predator while pretending to be the teen.
“The conversation became more and more graphic with Navarro describing and asking for specific sex acts, without any regard for the age of the victim,” police shared.
Images shared by the department of the alleged texts between Navarro and officers show him asking for “pictures” and to keep their “convo” a secret.
During the conversation, Navarro repeatedly asked to meet up with the teen, calling the number up to 30 times.
Investigators said a few hours later, they picked a location to meet, and “instead of the 14-year-old young lady, Navarro met up with some handcuffs and was placed under arrest.”
“Here is a prime example of a young lady who thought quickly on her feet and did the right thing!” the department wrote, praising the 14-year-old.
“We at the Glendale Police Department commend this young lady for her bravery and her smart thinking!”
Navarro was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on charges of luring a minor for sexual exploitation and attempting to commit sexual conduct with a minor, according to the department.
He is currently being held on a $250K bond.