Man arrested after trying to lure a child from Culver City park, police say

A man was arrested for attempted kidnapping after he tried to lure a child from a Culver City park, police said Tuesday.

The incident happened last Monday at Fox Hills park on Green Valley Circle when the adult male with a red hoodie approached the 4-year-old child at the playground, according to the Culver City Police Department.

As the man told the young child to come with him, the kid’s parents noticed and quickly moved toward them to intervene. A community member at the park also noticed the interaction and approached to help.

When other adults came toward them, the suspect walked away from the playground and ran away.

After receiving a call about the incident, officers began looking for the man and found a person that matched his descriptions inside a car at a shopping center.

The suspect was later identified as 57-year-old Marlo Jeffrey Hempstead of Los Angeles.

It was not immediately clear whether Hempstead was involved in similar crimes.

“While this appears to be an isolated incident and there have been no other similar reports, parents and caregivers are encouraged to remain vigilant in public spaces and report suspicious activity immediately,” Culver City police said in a statement.

No child was physically harmed during the incident, police said.

Anyone with additional information regarding the incident was encouraged to contact the Culver City Police Department at (310) 253-6202