A homeless man wearing a blonde wig, makeup, pearls, and high heels was detained for allegedly attempting to grab an 11-year-old boy from outside his Ohio home, police said.
Joshua Freyermuth, 39, is suspected of approaching the child and his dog outside their home in Alliance, south-east of Akron, on Sunday and attempting to lure him away, only days after being released following a drug bust, according to WOIO.
“I need to talk to you,” Freyermuth allegedly told the youngster, according to the police report.
When the boy declined to approach him, Freyermuth—who police say goes by Vicky and had makeup smeared across his face in his mug shot—reportedly attempted to grab the child, authorities said.
According to authorities, the youngster managed to escape, and the alleged perpetrator fled the scene.
“When he grabbed my son’s arm, my dog attacked him, and then he stumbled back off the stairs,” the victim’s father, Zachery Thurmond, told the local media.
“He kicked his heels off; my son said he had white high heels on, and then he took off running down the street.”
Shortly after, authorities apprehended Freyermuth, who they described as homeless.
Just two days had passed since police apprehended the suspected would-be kidnapper and released him on narcotics charges after finding methamphetamine in Freyermuth’s car.
Police pulled over Freyermuth after receiving complaints about someone driving around and trying to speak with children.
Mug pictures from the arrests show Freyermuth wearing two different types of blonde wigs and cosmetics.
On Monday, Alliance Municipal Court charged Freyermuth with attempted kidnapping, despite his repeated denials of intending to kidnap the boy.
“I wasn’t even there,” he informed the judge, still wearing his new blonde wig. “I didn’t try to kidnap anybody.”
We set the suspect’s bond at $100,000 and instructed him to have no contact with the child.
