NYC sicko who lured girl, 14, into cab, promising ‘good life’ before groping her is busted: cops, DA

The Staten Island sicko who allegedly lured a 14-year-old girl away from a bus stop and on a 5-mile cab ride — promising her a “good life” — then groped her over the weekend has been arrested, authorities said. 

Lowman D. Venable, 46 – who has 20 previous arrests – was busted Monday and charged with attempted kidnapping, forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful imprisonment and harassment in the sickening Saturday ordeal, according to cops and prosecutors. 

Venable first approached the girl outside Empire Outlets in St. George around 9 a.m. and physically blocked her from boarding an MTA bus, according to a criminal complaint. 

He allegedly brought the teen to a nearby deli, where he disturbingly told her, “I wanna teach you things and give you a good life,” the court doc said. 

Lowman D. Venable, 46 – who has 20 previous arrests – was charged with the attempted kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl, according to cops and prosecutors. DCPI

As they left, the sicko allegedly kissed the victim’s hand and said, “You’re pretty,” according to the complaint. 

The panicked victim requested to leave “multiple times,” but Venable allegedly prevented her, the court doc said. 

The creep then convinced the girl once again not to board the bus and led her to a taxi, bribing her, “I will take you to your tutoring classes,” the complaint said. 

During the taxi ride, Venable allegedly placed his hand on the teen’s thigh and said, “It’ll be fine. I wanna show you my house,” before repeating, “You’re so pretty,” according to the filing. 

The teen repeated her pleas to leave, but Venable didn’t let her, prosecutors said. 

Venable is accused of preventing the teen from leaving and promising to give her “a good life.” Google Maps

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.