Registered Sex Offender Accused Of Trying To Lure 2 Walnut Creek Girls

WALNUT CREEK, CA — The Walnut Creek Police Department is seeking charges against a registered sex offender in connection with an incident reported in July involving two middle-school-aged girls.

On July 3, the girls were standing in the Target parking lot at North Main Street and Ygnacio Valley Boulevard when a man approached them and claimed he needed help looking for his lost dog, Walnut Creek police said Friday in a news release.

"The suspect drove a silver Mazda four-door car to their location and attempted to coerce the girls to get into his car with him," police said. "Both girls refused to get into his car and ran from the location unharmed."

After an extensive investigation, Miguel Schiappapietra, 37, a registered sex offender who lives in Concord, was identified as the suspect, police said.

Schiappapietra was booked into the Martinez county jail Friday on suspicion of two counts of annoying or molesting a child, two counts of contacting a minor to commit a felony, and two counts of attempting to commit a lewd or lascivious act on a minor.

He remained in custody Monday with his bail set at $1.42 million.

Walnut Creek police thanked Target and its team members for their help in the investigation.

"Close ties with the businesses and citizens of the community are crucial in keeping the public safe," police said.

Police also said that as children return to school in the coming week, it is a good time for parents and guardians to talk to their kids about safety.

"It is important they understand that adults who truly need help will ask other adults, not children," police said. "Please remind your children that if adults they don’t know are asking for help, they should say they’ll ask their parents, then immediately leave the area and find a trusted adult."

Police asked anyone with further information regarding this incident or any similar incidents in the City of Walnut Creek to contact Detective Katie Eames at 925-943-5870 or the Walnut Creek PD main phone number at 925-943-5844.