Man Who Met Girl Online Shows Up at House, Arrested

Police today announced the arrest of a San Diego County man who was discovered outside the Nuevo home of a 12-year-old girl he met on social media.

Scott Stilwell, 27, was booked into the Southwest Detention Center for contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense and sending harmful matter to a minor, according to Sheriff's Department authorities. The girl's father detained Stilwell after a physical altercation until deputies arrived to make the arrest.

After finding an open window in his daughter's vacant bedroom about 1:30 a.m. Monday, the father went outside and found his daughter near a vehicle driven by the suspect. Police, who had been alerted of a possible missing person at the residence moments earlier, arrived to make the arrest in the 22000 block of Via Santana.

According to police, the girl had been communicating with Stilwell via social media for some time. In a news release, the Sheriffs Department reminds parents and caretakers to be aware of their children's online and cell phone activity to ensure their safety.