A homeless man wearing a blonde wig, makeup, pearls and high heels was arrested for trying to snatch an 11-year-old boy outside his Ohio home, police said.
Joshua Freyermuth, 39, is accused of trying to lure the boy away by approaching him and his dog outside a home in Alliance, a southeast Akron neighborhood, on Sunday — just days after he was released following a drug bust. WOIO reported,
According to the police report, Freiermuth allegedly told the boy, “I need to talk to you.”
When the boy refused to move closer, Freiermuth (who police say is sometimes known as Vicky and has makeup on her face in the photo) allegedly tried to grab the child, police said.
According to police, the boy managed to escape and the alleged culprit fled from the spot.
“When he grabbed my son's arm, my dog attacked him, and then he stumbled down the stairs and fell,” the victim's father, Zachary Thurmond, told the local outlet.
“He took off his heels, my son said he was wearing white high heels, and then he started running down the street.”
Freyermuth, who authorities described as homeless, was captured a short time later.
The arrest comes two days after the alleged kidnapper was taken into custody — and later released on drug charges — after police said they found methamphetamine in Freyermuth’s car.
In that incident, Freiermuth was stopped after police received a report that a suspicious man was driving around trying to talk to children, police said.
Photos taken during the arrests showed Freyermuth wearing two different styles of blonde wigs and makeup.
Freyermuth was arraigned Monday in Alliance Municipal Court on attempted kidnapping charges — where he repeatedly denied trying to snatch the boy.
“I wasn't even there,” he told the judge, still wearing his new blonde wig. “I didn't try to kidnap anybody.”
The suspect's fine has been set at $100,000 and he has been ordered to have no contact with the boy.
