CLEARWATER, Fla. - Residents living near a Clearwater Circle K gas station, where a man is accused of trying to kidnap a teenage girl, said he was no stranger to the area.
The backstory:
A homeless Clearwater man is accused of trying to kidnap a 15-year-old girl from a Circle K parking lot on Friday night.
Bystanders at the gas station stepped in and stopped 43-year-old Erik Butler from taking the girl who was reported as a runaway.
He got away but was found nearby and quickly arrested.
Butler was charged with kidnapping, possession of cocaine, exposure of sexual organs and resisting arrest. He was taken to Pinellas County Jail.
What they're saying:
People in the area said Butler was known to hang around that spot in Clearwater.
"I'm not surprised because this area. This are