Mom: Fake 'Twilight' actor interacted with daughter

NEWTON, Ia. – A second teenager has accused a 33-year-old California man who claimed to be an actor from the movie series "Twilight" of inappropriately touching her, raising questions about whether police should have intervened last week before the man reportedly lured another girl into his vehicle.

David A. LaVera of San Diego, Calif., was arrested Tuesday after police say he inappropriately touched a different girl and drove off with her in Baxter. The girl was found unharmed.

LaVera appears to have told both girls he was an actor in the popular movie series "Twilight" and enticed each girl to go to a park with him.

That's what he did on June 3, said Tammy Adams, who accused LaVera of touching her daughter inappropriately.

Adams said LaVera told her daughter that he was an actor in "Twilight" and talked her and a friend into going to a park with him. While there, LaVera inappropriately touched her daughter, Adams said.

He asked the girl if they could meet in the evening and make out, Adams said. The girl planned on staying at her friend's home and sneaking out in the evening, but her mother found out and called Newton police.

Adams said the police didn't arrest LaVera. An officer from Newton found LaVera at a bar that same evening, and told him that if he attempted to entice a girl again, he would be arrested, Adams said.

"They didn't do anything about it," said Raven Adams, Tammy's daughter. "If they had, I don't think this would have happened to this other girl."

Newton Police Department officials would have investigated LaVera more quickly if they were aware inappropriate touching occurred, police Lt. Bill Henninger told the Register.

Henninger said the initial report the department received regarding Raven Adams stated LaVera was making friends with girls at the park.

"It all obviously seems odd, but being odd is not a crime," he said.

Police are continuing to investigate the Adams' initial report, but Henninger said re-interviews need to be conducted.

Raven Adams said she met LaVera on May 28 during lunch at Berg Middle School's cafeteria, where he was signing autographs and taking photos with students. He performed at an assembly at the school May 30, where Raven Adams said he was presented as David LaVera. On June 2, he attended a school-sponsored pool party.

Tammy Adams said she questions how LaVera was allowed in the school, and then allowed to perform in an assembly and attend the party. "It's scary the schools would let him in without checking him," the mother said.

Raven Adams said the incident has scared her. She hopes her experience will serve as "an eye-opener for young people" and teach them not to hang out with "strangers they don't know," she said.

LaVera waspresented to school officials as David LaVera, a stuntman from California, Newton schools superintendent Bob Callaghan said. A family brought LaVera to school, where he spoke in the child's classroom with both parents present, Callaghan said.

LaVera also went with the parents to have lunch with their elementary-aged child at Aurora Heights Intermediate School, Callaghan said.

In both cases, the schools followed the protocol of having visitors sign in and be accompanied in the school, he said.

LaVera was invited back to perform stunts at a Berg Middle School assembly, Callaghan said.

The Newton school board meets June 23 and will likely discuss procedures on allowing visitors in schools.

"I think we'll identify the factors that took place and allow input on signing in and out and school-community relations. If a policy is put in place, it affects everyone," he said.

It continues to remain unclear, after being introduced under one name, how LaVera was able to persuade several teens he was a different actor, officials said.

The family of the girl LaVera was with on Tuesday when he was arrested is "numb," said Trena McKenzie, the girl's grandmother. "The whole family is numb."

McKenzie said her granddaughter, along with others, believed LaVera was Kiowa Gordon, an actor in the "Twilight" movies. "I'd like to see him and ask him, 'What was your problem? Why?' " McKenzie said.

On Tuesday, McKenzie was at home when her granddaughter's best friend knocked on the door. The girl was teary-eyed, McKenzie said.

The friend told McKenzie that the woman's granddaughter left with LaVera and that she hadn't heard from them.

"She said the guy was from 'Twilight' and I didn't let her finish. I just called the police," McKenzie said.

Friends of the family and police located LaVera and McKenzie's granddaughter in Baxter. McKenzie said she is thankful for the people who stepped in front of LaVera's car and told the girl to get into their car.

"Without that, I don't think we'd have our granddaughter," McKenzie said.

LaVera is charged with enticing a minor, carrying weapons and failure to have a valid driver's license. He is being held in Jasper County Jail in Newton on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

A criminal complaint accuses LaVera of an inappropriate conversation that was of a "sexual nature" on Facebook with a female "he knew was 14 years old."

The complaint states LaVera told the victim he was an actor in the movie series "Twilight," and used his celebrity status to entice the girl. LaVera and the victim met at a park in Baxter, according to the complaint. While there, LaVera touched the girl inappropriately and then lured her into his vehicle, the complaint states. The two then drove around the Baxter area until someone stopped the vehicle and got the victim out, the complaint says.

For now, McKenzie said, her family is recovering from the ordeal. Her granddaughter is more quiet than usual, and her family plans on supporting her through everything.

"She's stronger than me and her mama. I'll tell you that," McKenzie said.

Kiowa Gordon, the actor, expressed his remorse for families that were affected by Lavera's actions.

Gordon, 24, played Embry Calla in the popular "Twilight" film series, according to IMDB.

On Gordon's personal Twitter account, he tweeted, "I am deeply saddened that there is a person out there trying to impersonate me and do harm to young girls," on Thursday.

The actor has also played roles in "The Windwakers," "Drunktown's Finest" and the "Projectionist."

The Des Moines Register attempted to reach out to Gordon, but received no response.

Safety tips

The following are law enforcement's safety tips for using the Internet and social media such as Facebook and Twitter:

1. Never post personal information such as a cellphone number, address, or the name of your school.

2. Realize that people may not be who they say they are. Don't meet anyone you met online first.

3. Think before posting photos online or sending them to others.

4. Parents should monitor the Internet activity of their children and teens.