Jonathan Bullington, TribLocal reporter

Police say a 55-year-old Evanston man grabbed an 11-year-old girl on her way to school on Wednesday, but she pulled away.

Joseph Lee Cox, 55, of the 1900 block of Foster Street, was charged with one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.

The girl told police she was walking at about 7:28 a.m. in the area of Simpson Street and Ashland Avenue when she was approached by a man she did not know. He asked what her name was, how old she was and where she went to school, authorities said.

The man then grabbed the girl by the arm, police said, adding that she resisted and was able to pull away from the man. The girl walked away briskly, and the man fled the area on foot, police said.

The girl used her cell phone to call her mother, who told her to return home, police said. Police were then notified and given a description of the man. A short time later, police in the area stopped a man matching the description in the 1700 block of Simpson Street.

A woman who answered the phone at Coxs residence identified herself as his mother and said he was not available for comment.

He is expected to appear in court Sept. 24 in Skokie.

jbullington@tribune.com