OROVILLE – A Tonasket man was arrested after he allegedly tried to lure an eight-year-old Oroville girl into his car on two separate occasions, according to Sheriff Frank Rogers.

Arrested was Douglas A. Lowrie, 53. The arrest came after he allegedly contacted the girl on April 18 when she was walking home on Golden Road, southeast of Oroville, from a friend’s house and again on April 22 when she was walking alone.

According to reports, Lowrie contacted the young girl and gave her a bag of potato chips. Lowrie told her if she got into his car he would take her anywhere she wanted to go.

“He talked with me two times and tried to get me to get in the car,” said the girl last Friday.

“He told my daughter that he had my telephone number, she ran home and told me,” added her mother.

“On April 22, Lowrie attempted to pick up the same girl again and she reported it to her mother. Lowrie then drove to the victims’ residence and started to talk to the mother, who instructed her kids to call 911,” said Sheriff Rogers.

As Lowrie drove away from the residence, the mother wrote down the license of Lowrie’s vehicle and reported the incident to the sheriff’s office. The vehicle Lowrie was driving is a 2011 Hyundai Elantra 4 door, registered to him.

On April 22, Deputy Isaiah Holloway was detailed to Golden Road in reference to a child luring complaint. At the location the deputy made contact with a mother and her daughter. The mother reported that a male subject had attempted to lure her daughter into his vehicle on two different occasions. Deputy Holloway started looking for Lowrie and located him driving north on County Highway 7 and Thayer Road.

“Lowrie was questioned about the incident and his only comment was that he thought she was 13-years-old and then he stopped talking,” said Rogers.

Lowrie was placed under arrested and transported to Okanogan County Jail and booked for two counts of luring for attempting to lure a minor into a motor vehicle.

Prior to the arrest, the victim’s mother posted photos of a similar car on Facebook in an effort to warn people about this man.

“Then when he was arrested we were told he had several weapons, including knives, in the ar with him,” she said. “I hope he doesn’t get out of jail any time soon.”