A destitute man disguised in a blond wig, makeup, pearls, and high heels has been arrested for allegedly trying to abduct an 11-year-old boy outside his home in Alliance, Ohio, according to police.
Joshua Freyermuth, 39, is accused of approaching the boy and his dog on Sunday, September 22, attempting to lure him away just days after being released following a drug-related arrest, as reported by WOIO.
“I need to talk to you,” Freyermuth allegedly told the child, according to the police report.
When the boy refused to approach him, Freyermuth—who police say sometimes goes by the name Vicky and had makeup smudged across his face in his mugshot—reportedly tried to grab the child. The boy managed to escape, prompting the suspect to flee.
“When he grabbed my son’s arm, my dog attacked him, causing him to stumble back off the stairs,” the victim’s father, Zachery Thurmond, recounted.
“He kicked off his heels; my son said he was wearing white high heels, and then he ran down the street.”
Freyermuth, described by authorities as homeless, was apprehended shortly after the incident.
His arrest came just two days after he had been arrested on drug charges when police discovered methamphetamine in his vehicle. At that time, Freyermuth had been pulled over following reports of a man driving around trying to speak to children.
Mug shots from both arrests show Freyermuth wearing different styles of blonde wigs and makeup.
Freyermuth was arraigned on an attempted kidnapping charge in Alliance Municipal Court on Monday, September 23, where he repeatedly denied attempting to abduct the boy.
“I wasn’t even there,” he told the judge, still donning his latest blonde wig. “I didn’t try to kidnap anybody.”
His bond was set at $100,000, and he has been ordered to have no contact with the child.
