Man arrested for allegedly abducting Cockeysville Middle School student

A 34-year-old man was arrested for allegedly abducting and assaulting a Cockeysville Middle School student on Thursday morning before dropping her off at school, police said.

The man, Oscar Bladimir Argueta, was charged with kidnapping and second-degree assault, according to a news release from the Baltimore County Police Department.

Police said the student was walking to school before 7:50 a.m. when Argueta approached her at the corner of Vintage Court and Cranbrook Road, which is just behind the middle school.

Argueta told the 12-year-old girl he was a friend of her uncle and that they went to the same church, according to charging documents. He persuaded her to get into his gray Toyota Camry so he could take her to school, court documents said.

The charging documents said he drove the girl to different locations, including Greentop Road and Hidey Road, County Home Park and a nearby cemetery. When he stopped the vehicle, Argueta reclined the seat, asked the girl if she could teach him to fight and then began touching her leg and stomach, court documents said.

Police said he climbed into the backseat and asked the 12-year-old if she had a boyfriend or if she had her first kiss. Then he asked if he could kiss her. She began to curse at him and told him to take her to school, documents said.

Argueta climbed back into the front seat and drove her to school, apologizing and asking her not to tell anyone about the incident. When he arrived at the school, he asked for her hand and kissed it before she got out of the car, police said.

The girl reported it to school officials, who called police.

After Argueta’s arrest, he denied touching the girl inappropriately, court documents said. In an interview with investigators, he said he was picking up adult passengers for Empower, a digital platform that connects for-hire drivers and potential passengers, similar to Uber and Lyft.

While he was working, Argueta said, he saw the girl, whom he recognized from church, and offered her a ride.

He told police the 12-year-old didn’t want to be too early, so he drove her around. Argueta said the girl told him about a previous assault she experienced and began to cry, so he offered her a hug to console her before dropping her off at school.

Baltimore County Police officers said they took the suspect into custody on Thursday.

Empower said in an emailed statement that it offered assistance to the Baltimore County Police Department in its investigation of Argueta.

“Upon being informed of this incident by the Baltimore Banner, Empower immediately locked the suspect’s account,” the statement said.

Unlike Uber or Lyft, the company, which is locked in a lengthy regulatory fight with the state, views drivers using its software as customers running their own businesses, not contractors or employees.

Adam Carney, the principal at Cockeysville Middle School, told parents in an email that the student was safe and is “receiving appropriate services and support.”

“We want to thank BCoPD for their support and swift action to apprehend the suspect,” he said.

Carney also shared safety tips with parents to discuss with their children.

Banner reporter Daniel Zawodny contributed to this article.

This article has been updated.