A homeless man wearing a blonde wig, makeup, pearls and high heels was arrested in Ohio for allegedly trying to kidnap an 11-year-old boy outside his home in Alliance, a town southeast of Akron, according to local authorities.
The suspect, Joshua Freyermuth, 39, is accused of approaching the boy and his dog on Sunday, attempting to lure the boy away from his home. This incident occurred just days after Freyermuth was released from custody following a previous arrest related to a drug bust. WOIO reported.
According to the police reportFreyermuth allegedly told the boy, “I need to talk to you.” When the boy refused to approach him, Freyermuth — who police say sometimes goes by “Vicky” and appears in her mugshot with makeup smeared on her face — allegedly tried to grab the boy. The boy managed to escape Freyermuth’s grasp and the suspect fled the scene, police said.
The boy’s father, Zachery Thurmond, described the harrowing moment to the local outlet. “When he grabbed my son’s arm, my dog attacked him and then he staggered backwards down the stairs,” Thurmond said. He added that the suspect was wearing white high heels at the time, which she kicked off before running away.
Freyermuth, described by authorities as homeless, was arrested a short time later. The arrest came just two days after he was released following a drug-related incident, during which police found methamphetamine in his car. At the time, Freyermuth had been arrested after reports surfaced that a man was driving and trying to talk to children. Police photos from both arrests show Freyermuth sporting two different blonde wigs and makeup.
At his final court appearance on Monday, Freyermuth was arraigned on attempted kidnapping charges. Despite the allegations, he maintained his innocence, telling the judge, “I wasn’t even there. I didn’t try to kidnap anybody,” while still sporting his blonde wig in court. Freyermuth’s bail was set at $100,000 and he has been ordered to have no contact with the child involved in the incident.
