A homeless man wearing a blond wig, makeup, pearls, and high heels has been arrested in Ohio for allegedly attempting to abduct an 11-year-old boy from outside his home in Alliance, a town southeast of Akron, according to local authorities.
The suspect, 39-year-old Joshua Freyermuth, is accused of approaching the boy and his dog on Sunday, trying to lure the child away from his home. This incident occurred just days after Freyermuth had been released following a prior arrest related to a drug bust, WOIO reported.
According to the police report, Freyermuth allegedly said to the boy, “I need to talk to you.” When the boy refused to approach him, Freyermuth—who police noted sometimes goes by the name “Vicky” and appeared in his mugshot with makeup smeared on his face—allegedly attempted to grab the child. The boy managed to escape from 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 stumbled back off the stairs,” Thurmond said. He added that the suspect was wearing white high heels at the time, which he kicked off before running away.
Freyermuth, described by authorities as homeless, was apprehended a short time later. The arrest came just two days after he had been released from custody following a drug-related incident, during which police found methamphetamine in his car. At that time, Freyermuth had been pulled over after reports surfaced of a man driving around and attempting to talk to children. Mugshots from both arrests show Freyermuth sporting two different blonde wigs and makeup.
In his latest court appearance on Monday, Freyermuth was arraigned on charges of attempted kidnapping. Despite the accusations, he maintained his innocence, telling the judge, “I wasn’t even there. I didn’t try to kidnap anybody,” while still wearing his blonde wig in court. Freyermuth’s bond was set at $100,000, and he has been ordered to have no contact with the child involved in the incident.