
On September 12 at about 8 a.m., Riverside County police officers responded to the University Towers apartments in the 3500 block of Iowa Avenue regarding a possible attempted child abduction. Officers found Dajon Lawton, a 52-year-old transient currently on Post Release Community Supervision, and detained him.
Officers learned that an 11-year-old female walked to the garbage enclosure of the apartment building to empty the trash when a homeless man started talking to her. As she began to walk away, the suspect suddenly grabbed and attempted to pull her into the enclosure, according to authorities. The victim was able to pull away and run to her apartment for help.
Lawton was arrested and booked into jail for kidnapping with intent to commit a lewd act and annoying/molesting a child. According to the Riverside Police Department, Lawton has been resistant to outreach services. Riverside police officers have contacted him several times this year for violations of being under the influence, public intoxication, resisting arrest, and several violations of his Post Release Community Supervision.