Posted 10:22 pm Saturday, February 02, 2013
Send to Kindle
Jacksonville man in jail for attempted kidnapping
BY KELLY GOOCH
kgooch@tylerpaper.com
A Jacksonville man accused of attempting to kidnap a child was arrested after leading police on a short pursuit.
The arrest stems from incidents that occurred earlier this week.
kgooch@tylerpaper.com
A Jacksonville man accused of attempting to kidnap a child was arrested after leading police on a short pursuit.
The arrest stems from incidents that occurred earlier this week.
Detective Jeremy Pate said everything started about 4 or 4:30 p.m. Monday when a group of children, ages 6 to 10, were playing in an area near the Little Creek Apartments on Canada Street.
He said there are duplexes down the road, and children come to a play area around there to use the trampoline and basketball court.
While the children were playing, Jimmy Pfeuffer, 63, drove up.
“He drives up, motions to one of the kids or the group and was saying something,” Pate said.
That’s when Pate said a 9-year-old walked up to the vehicle while another child ran into a duplex and told an adult that Pfeuffer was outside.
An adult “saw the car and didn’t know the person and told the kid to get away from the vehicle and asked (Pfeuffer) ‘What do you want?’ In a mumbling voice, he said, ‘I want the kid.’ She wasn’t sure exactly what he said and couldn’t understand him, but that’s what it sounded like to her. … He acknowledged that’s what he said, and she told him to leave,” Pate said.
Pate said Pfeuffer drove off slowly down the road and ended up turning into the apartment complex. Around that time, a deputy was in the area, and the woman flagged him down, Pate said.
“I know she told him the description of the car. I’m not sure what else she told him,” he said. The deputy “looked for the vehicle and came back and said, ‘If you have any more problems, make sure you call police.’ She didn’t call us that day. She just went around the neighborhood and went to the apartment complex and said ‘This is what happened. If you see (him), tell me, call police (or) something.’”
But Pate said the next day about 4 or 4:30 p.m., a person told the woman they saw Pfeuffer’s vehicle again in the apartment complex parking lot, so she sent her stepson to look for the vehicle.
While the children were playing, Jimmy Pfeuffer, 63, drove up.
“He drives up, motions to one of the kids or the group and was saying something,” Pate said.
That’s when Pate said a 9-year-old walked up to the vehicle while another child ran into a duplex and told an adult that Pfeuffer was outside.
An adult “saw the car and didn’t know the person and told the kid to get away from the vehicle and asked (Pfeuffer) ‘What do you want?’ In a mumbling voice, he said, ‘I want the kid.’ She wasn’t sure exactly what he said and couldn’t understand him, but that’s what it sounded like to her. … He acknowledged that’s what he said, and she told him to leave,” Pate said.
Pate said Pfeuffer drove off slowly down the road and ended up turning into the apartment complex. Around that time, a deputy was in the area, and the woman flagged him down, Pate said.
“I know she told him the description of the car. I’m not sure what else she told him,” he said. The deputy “looked for the vehicle and came back and said, ‘If you have any more problems, make sure you call police.’ She didn’t call us that day. She just went around the neighborhood and went to the apartment complex and said ‘This is what happened. If you see (him), tell me, call police (or) something.’”
But Pate said the next day about 4 or 4:30 p.m., a person told the woman they saw Pfeuffer’s vehicle again in the apartment complex parking lot, so she sent her stepson to look for the vehicle.
At the time Pfeuffer pulled in, children had just gotten off the bus and were congregating, but adults were there and no contact was made, he said.
The woman’s stepson eventually saw the vehicle as did a police officer in the area.
“The officer got information and put it out on the radio. (They) knew the car couldn’t be far, (and) another officer spotted the vehicle several blocks from the area on South Bolton (Street) and attempted to make an investigatory stop on the vehicle,” Pate said.
He said the vehicle then fled a few blocks, and after Pfeuffer stopped, police identified him as the man who was near the apartment complex before. Police also found out he had some city traffic warrants.
Pfeuffer was arrested for evading arrest, a third-degree felony. Pate said Pfeuffer admitted he knew he had warrants and was trying to make it to his house.
He was later arrested for attempted kidnapping, a state jail felony.
He remained in police custody Friday, serving time and awaiting transfer to the Cherokee County Jail.
The woman’s stepson eventually saw the vehicle as did a police officer in the area.
“The officer got information and put it out on the radio. (They) knew the car couldn’t be far, (and) another officer spotted the vehicle several blocks from the area on South Bolton (Street) and attempted to make an investigatory stop on the vehicle,” Pate said.
He said the vehicle then fled a few blocks, and after Pfeuffer stopped, police identified him as the man who was near the apartment complex before. Police also found out he had some city traffic warrants.
Pfeuffer was arrested for evading arrest, a third-degree felony. Pate said Pfeuffer admitted he knew he had warrants and was trying to make it to his house.
He was later arrested for attempted kidnapping, a state jail felony.
He remained in police custody Friday, serving time and awaiting transfer to the Cherokee County Jail.
