A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after he allegedly tried to kidnap two women in Vero Beach, in southeast Florida. His mother recognized the grisly photo released by police of him hanging around the homes of his alleged victims.
The teenager, whose name has not been released, has been charged with attempted kidnapping after approaching the women on July 2 and July 7.
The alleged incidents took place in the Pointe West neighborhood, west of Vero Beach.
Both women were able to escape from the teenager by screaming, pushing or running.
When the boy was questioned by police, he told officers he was in a “dream-like” state.
A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after he allegedly tried to kidnap two women in Vero Beach, in southeast Florida. He was seen hanging around the Pointe West neighborhood
The boy was seen wandering outside a nearby house when the women were attacked
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said after interviewing the teen that officers believe the boy has mental health issues.
“We asked him, is it sexual, what is it? Why did you do this?” Sheriff Flowers explained to NBC6.
“His story was that he felt like he was in a dream state, that he was watching himself from above, that he didn’t know if it was real or if it was a dream… We believe his intention was definitely more than that.”
During the second incident, the boy admitted that he had a knife with him at the time.
The boy’s mother recognized her son in some of the photos released by police and confronted him
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said after interviewing the teen that officers believe the boy has mental health issues
So far, the teen has only been charged once with attempted kidnapping, but police are aware of a third incident in which the same boy followed her home while she was walking her dog and then banged on her door.
Surveillance footage showed the teen stalking the neighborhood, leading detectives to him.
The child’s mother later confronted her son after she appeared to recognize him in still images from the security camera.
“There’s no belief that he’s on drugs, but I’ll tell you, my mother sat in our room today and told me he’s a compulsive liar, that he believes his own lies, that he’s been this way since he was 5 years old, that she can’t trust anything he has to say,” Sheriff Flowers said.
“We believe he certainly has issues, psychological issues… that is something the court will look at.”