LORAIN — A 71-year-old Lorain man allegedly casing a Lorain neighborhood for several weeks was arrested Wednesday on charges he tried to lure teenage girls into his car, police said.

Richard Carl Kessler was charged with loitering with intent to solicit and child enticement after he slowly followed two girls, ages 16 and 13, along West 17th Street around 6:18 p.m., according to police reports.

Kessler’s car was parked with its hazard lights on and when the two young girls passed him and turned on West 17th Street, Kessler slowly followed them before pulling ahead about 20 feet and parking his car again, police said.

After Kessler parked, he waited until the girls, who are cousins, got closer to the car and then he “whistled loudly, stepped out of his car and yelled at the girls to ‘get into the car, I’m looking for a little girl,’” according to the report.

One of the girls said she was calling the police and Kessler left the area but the girls had his license plate number, police said, adding several other children related to the teenage girls also told police they’d seen Kessler’s green 2005 Kia in their neighborhood during the past several weeks.

Officers spotted Kessler parked at a red light on Broadway and pulled him over, police reported.

Kessler denied the allegations, police said, adding Kessler contends he was parked in the area intending to pick up a prostitute.

Kessler told police he’d seen the two young girls but he insisted he never spoke to them, according to reports.

Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.

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