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Sheriff: Man, 32, Arrested For Chasing After 14-Year-Old Girls

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Benton County officials say sheriff's deputies arrested a 32-year-old man on Monday after he allegedly chased after two 14-year-old girls over the weekend.

Ryan Soyka, who has no permanent address, was being held Wednesday at the county jail on charges of stalking and disorderly conduct, the sheriff's office said.

The charges stem from an incident on Sunday afternoon. Two 14-year-old girls told investigators that they were walking on Benton County Road 2, just east of Rice, on their way to McDonald's when Soyka pulled up and asked where they were going.

The girls said Soyka offered them a ride, but they refused. One of the girls then called her mother, asking for her to pick them up. When the mother arrived, Soyka's car was in a church parking lot nearby. When he saw the girls running towards the mother's car, he allegedly got out of his car and chased after them.

The girls told investigators that Soyka was driving a blue sedan with a red canoe tied to the top. The sheriff's office said that a day later deputies found a car matching that description on County Road 2.

When deputies spoke with Soyka, he admitted to talking with the girls. After additional investigation, deputies arrested him.

Soyka's bail was set at $8,000.

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