GREENSBURG, Pa. — A man charged with luring an 11-year-old girl into his car and groping her in March has been released from jail after his attorney argued he wasn’t given a speedy trial.
In March, an 11-year-old girl was riding her bike and took a break at the BFS gas station in Youngwood. Then, police say Keith Lilliock, an employee at Dollar General lured her into his car and sexually assaulted her.
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“Anyone who cares about your kids should be furious,” said Diane Byers who lives nearby.
That’s how many people who live in the Youngwood area of Westmoreland County say they feel after hearing the news that Lilliock was released from jail Tuesday afternoon.
“I think anybody who abuses a child, in any way, should not be allowed back on the streets,” she added.
Police said that young girl said she was riding her bike to Pittsburgh and took a break at the BFS gas station. From there, she walked to the Dollar General in the same plaza. That’s where Lilliock worked. She said he told her he’d take her wherever she needed to go.
“There should be accountability somewhere,” Byers said.
Lilliock was released from jail Tuesday on a $5,000 bond after attorneys said he was not granted a speedy trial. He was in jail for 184 days -- four days more than the 180-day limit for those in jail to have their case brought to trial.
Nicole Ziccarelli, the Westmoreland County District Attorney said in a statement, “Our prosecutors make every effort to have a defendant’s matter heard in a timely and efficient manner. Our prosecutors were not able to get into a courtroom within the 180-day time period due to the extensive backlog within the court that is outside of the district attorney’s control.”
People who live in the area who either didn’t want to share their names or be shown on camera are worried this could happen to other kids.
“Am I worried about that? You’re damn right,” said another nearby resident.
“You have to keep them in prison for as long as it takes and not just keep making excuses for them,” Byers added. “You’re not doing anyone any good, even the person who did this.”
Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek reached out to Lilliock’s attorney but has not yet heard back.
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