A judge set bail at $20,000 Wednesday for a man accused of trying to grab an 11-year-old girl from a central Vancouver playground in what appears to be a case of mistaken identity.
Michael McGlothlin, 35, no city of residence listed, appeared in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and fourth-degree assault.
Deputy Prosecutor Greg Harvey asked the judge to also find probable cause for a charge of second-degree attempted kidnapping. Judge David Gregerson said he doesn’t believe the probable cause affidavit supports that crime.
Harvey noted McGlothlin is a suspect in an Arizona investigation into allegations of abuse. He asked the judge to set bail at $1 million.
The prosecutor said based on the 11-year-old girl’s report that McGlothlin called her his daughter while he tried to grab her, McGlothlin’s daughter may have been his intended target.
Investigators learned McGlothlin’s daughter lives near the park with the woman who intervened in Sunday’s incident, court records state.
Gregerson called the facts of the case unique, and he said the initial information released by police prompted alarm and possibly some overreaction.
He said he couldn’t be swayed in his bail decision by the way the case created a “media firestorm.” He ordered McGlothlin be subject to electronic monitoring if he posts bail and to have no contact with the 11-year-old girl or with his biological daughter — at least until the court has more information about the incident.
Gregerson also ordered McGlothlin to not have contact with any minors or be allowed to visit places where minors are known to congregate.
McGlothlin is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 4.
Vancouver police responded Sunday afternoon to reports of an attempted abduction of an 11-year-old girl at Lieser Crest Park, 7510 Virginia Lane, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The girl said she was swinging at the park alone about 3:40 p.m. when she saw a man walking toward her. She said she felt uncomfortable and got off the swing to leave. While she was walking away, she said the man grabbed her from behind and said something to the effect of, “You’re my daughter,” court records state.
The girl said she screamed, prompting him to release her. She ran toward a woman who was nearby. The woman said she yelled at the man before he ran away, got into an SUV and drove away, according to the affidavit.
Police found the SUV on Tuesday. One of the occupants said her brother, whom she identified as McGlothlin, was driving the SUV on Sunday. She also said McGlothlin told her in a phone call he had hugged a girl he believed to be his daughter, according to court records.
Officers found McGlothlin later that day and arrested him, the affidavit states.
Police said McGlothlin told them his daughter lives near the park — with the woman who had helped the 11-year-old girl. The affidavit does not state the relationship between the woman and McGlothlin’s daughter.
McGlothlin said he has sole custody of his daughter, but he hasn’t seen her since 2023; he keeps his distance, he said, because he has a poor relationship with the woman. McGlothlin said he was working toward resolving the guardianship issue of his daughter, according to court records.
He told police the girl at the park looked similar to his daughter. He said he knew the woman with whom his daughter lives was outside and would object to him seeing her, so he concealed his face as he approached the girl. He “hugged” the girl, he said, because he thought she didn’t recognize him. But when she screamed, he ran away, he said, according to court records.
Investigators said McGlothlin’s account of the incident matched the girl’s. They said while the case began as a kidnapping investigation, once officers confirmed his daughter did live in the area, they determined a kidnapping charge was not appropriate, court records state.
“Had Michael borne intent to kidnap a child, his apparent intent was to kidnap his own daughter — which is not a crime,” the affidavit states.
