Indian River County - Thursday July 11, 2024: Indian River County Sheriff (IRCSO) Detectives arrested a 13-year-old boy Wednesday in connection with attempted abductions reported in the Pointe West neighborhood of Vero Beach.
The juvenile has been charged with 1-count of attempted kidnapping and he is currently being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice in Fort Pierce. He was identified as the only suspect in the case, according to a statement issued by the Sheriff's Office.
Two attempted abduction cases in the Pointe West neighborhood were recently reported to the Sheriff's office. Detectives also learned of a third unreported case during the course of their investigation. All three cases involved women who said they were assaulted while walking at night in the Pointe West neighborhood. The arrest affidavit states that the boy has confessed to at least one of the assaults.
The first reported case occurred on the night of July 2nd, shortly after 10 PM. The second reported case happened just after midnight at 12:12 AM this past Sunday, July 7th.
In the second case the woman told police she had been walking her dog and when she returned home, a person grabbed her from behind as she was walking up her porch steps. She said the person put his hand over her mouth and dragged her down the steps saying - "Your coming with me." She began screaming and attempted to bite and kick the person before she fell down. The person then fled.
The 13-year-old is described as weighing 200 pounds and standing 5-feet 10-inches tall. He is a resident of the Pointe West neighborhood, according to the arrest affidavit.
A short video clip from a security camera recorded on the night of the second incident was released by the Sheriff's office on Tuesday (see video below). The video shows a person who authorities said was a possible suspect wearing blue sweat pants and a blue and white hoodie. A release from the Sheriff's office includes pictures of those two clothing items which the Sheriff says were recovered from the boy.
Sheriff Eric Flowers praised his Deputies and the public who provided tips that led to the arrest. “I am incredibly proud of our entire team who worked tirelessly to put our suspect behind bars," said Sheriff Flowers."We are thankful for the community that came together and provided the critical information that helped make this case."