MERIDIAN, Idaho — A man is behind bars after police say he tried to entice an 11-year-old boy attending a school book fair in Meridian.
Irvin Aleman-Villegas, 20, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon.
According to authorities, the 11-year rode his bicycle to the book fair at River Valley Elementary Thursday afternoon. When he went to leave the school later, he found a gift card hanging from his bicycle handlebars.
Police say the gift card had a note with a phone number and directions for the boy to contact Aleman-Villegas through SnapChat. The child reached out to the number left on the card, and the person who responded told him he was 18 and had left the gift card "just because."
The 11-year-old then went back into the school and told the principal, who came outside to look at his bicycle. At that point, the principal and the boy both noticed a man - later identified as Aleman-Villegas - walk out of the school and drive away in a black Honda.
The 11-year-old told the principal he had seen the same man walking in the school looking at photos earlier in the afternoon.
The school principal called police, who were quickly able to identify Aleman-Villegas through his SnapChat account.
The suspect was stopped by patrol officers and arrested on a felony charge of enticing a child. He is due to appear in court Friday afternoon.
Meridian Police Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea said the suspect got into the school during the book fair, which was open to the public. The department praised the 11-year-old for his quick decision to tell an adult, and the principal for immediately getting ahold of police.
