A Staten Island man accused of luring a 14-year-old girl away from a bus stop and into a cab ride spanning about five miles — while promising her a “good life” — was arrested after he allegedly groped her over the weekend, authorities said.
Lowman D. Venable, 46, who has 20 prior arrests, was taken into custody Monday in connection with the Saturday incident. He faces charges including attempted kidnapping, forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful imprisonment and harassment, according to police and prosecutors.
The encounter began around 9 a.m. outside Empire Outlets in St. George, where Venable allegedly approached the teenager and physically stopped her from getting onto an MTA bus, according to a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors said he then brought the girl to a nearby deli, where he allegedly told her, “I wanna teach you things and give you a good life,” according to the court document.
As the two left the deli, Venable allegedly kissed the girl’s hand and told her, “You’re pretty,” the complaint states.
The frightened teenager asked to leave “multiple times,” but Venable allegedly refused to let her go, according to the filing.
Authorities said he again persuaded her not to board a bus and instead led her to a taxi, allegedly telling her, “I will take you to your tutoring classes,” the complaint said.
During the cab ride, Venable allegedly put his hand on the girl’s thigh and said, “It’ll be fine. I wanna show you my house,” before again telling her, “You’re so pretty,” according to prosecutors.
The teen repeated her pleas to leave, but Venable didn’t let her, prosecutors said.
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Once they reached a Port Richmond apartment building about five miles away, Venable allegedly told the teen, “Come inside, I just wanna show you my home,” the court doc said.
Outside, he allegedly touched the girl’s buttocks without her consent, prosecutors said.
The teen then fought off the creep and fled to safety, police said.
The showy sicko – seen in surveillance images dressed in a garish blue, yellow and red jacket – was on the loose for two days until cops spotted him drinking alcohol on the street Monday morning, prosecutors said.
Venable was holding a vodka shooter when police approached him around 10 a.m. on Victory Boulevard in Tomkinsville, according to that court doc.
He was also found to have cocaine and heroin in his possession, authorities said.
Venable admitted to cops that he was “wanted for kidnapping a child,” according to the court filing.
“I’m embarrassed,” he allegedly confessed. “I met her at the ferry, I didn’t know she was [14]. We were flirting. I found out she was [14] and that’s when it ended.”
Venable does not live at the building where he allegedly brought the teen and told investigators it was “the place where I bring women to,” the complaint said.
He has since been ordered on $75,000 bail or $150,000 bond, the Staten Island DA’s office said.
Venable’s last arrest was in August of 2025 when he allegedly boarded a Staten Island bus without paying, cops said.
His arrest history dates back to March 2000, when he was nabbed for grand larceny, authorities said.
