BROWNSVILLE, Pa. -- A Fayette County volunteer department chief is facing charges that he attempted to lure a 13-year-old girl into his vehicle in June.

Police said the incident happened at a gas station on National Pike East in Brownsville.

Destiny Keffer said a man tried to lure her into his vehicle.

“I was walking up the street to go to my mom's work when I got to here and the guy pulled up beside me and he said, ‘Get in, get in,’ and I said no,” said Destiny Keffer.

That man turned out to be Edward Karol, 52, the fire chief at Allison 1 Volunteer Fire Department.

Destiny said she was terribly frightened, so her first reaction was to run.

She crossed the street and ran into Mod Laundromat and called her mother.

Ruth Keffer picked up her daughter and took her to a gas station down the street where she works.

Destiny said she spotted Karol again, parked in his car right across the street.

Ruth Keffer called 911 before confronting Karol.

“When I approached him, I asked, ‘Did you just try to pick up my daughter?’ There was no response from him so I just screamed louder and he just kind of turned toward me and he said, ‘I don't know what you're talking about, get away from me,'” Ruth Keffer said.

When police arrived, they arrested Karol on the spot.

According to the criminal complaint, he faces a charge of luring a child into a motor vehicle and admitted to police he tried to pick up Destiny but said he was only trying to help.

The arresting officer wrote, "He [Karol] kept repeating that she was broke down and needed help, but he couldn't tell me how he came to that conclusion."

Karol could not be reached for comment and remains free while waiting for his next court date, which has not been scheduled.

His status as chief at the fire department remains unclear.

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