Terrifying moment man is filmed trying to ABDUCT boy, 4, from Florida Walmart store
- Pablo Pintueles Hernandez, 64, of Florida, has been charged with kidnapping
- Footage showed him grabbing the four-year-old boy by his wrists
- Pintueles Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the charges and is free on $100,000 bond
A Florida man has been arrested after he was caught trying to kidnap a four-year-old boy at Walmart.
Pablo Pintueles Hernandez, 64, was charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment of a child after he was filmed grabbing the boy and trying to run away with him at the Lehigh Acres store on Dec. 29.
Lee County sheriff's deputies reviewed the footage and said the stranger walked up to the four-year-old's store with his family and grabbed his wrist.
Pintueles Hernandez allegedly said “let's go” and tried to pull him away before a family member intervened.
Police worked with Real Time Intelligence Center Analysts to identify the suspect and arrested him in the early hours of the next day.
Walmart surveillance footage shows a man walking up to a 4-year-old boy, grabbing his wrist and trying to run away with him
Police said the man grabbed the child and said “let's go” before the boy's sister intervened
Police identified Pablo Pintueles Hernandez (photo), 64, as the suspect and charged him with kidnapping and false imprisonment of a child
“What this criminal has done is incredibly disturbing,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
“I never want anyone in Lee County to feel unsafe, especially when they go shopping. My team will stop at NOTHING to ensure criminals like these face the consequences of their actions.”
According to the arrest report, the four-year-old boy was in the store with his mother and sister. His sister was the one who intervened and pulled the boy back.
The mother told police she was in the store with her children and did not allow anyone to talk to her children or touch her.
According to the report, Pintueles Hernandez and his wife Odalis Vaillant Leyva identified themselves on the surveillance footage.
The couple finished shopping and left the store in a car registered to Leyva, which was used by police to track them.
“Using the latest and greatest technology is the key to solving crimes quickly and efficiently,” Marceno said.
Lee County Sherriff footage shows Pintueles Hernandez arrested in the early hours of December 30
Pintueles Hernandez imagined himself being transported to prison. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released from jail on $100,000 bail
The incident took place on December 29 at this Walmart in Lehigh Acres, Florida
“The teamwork demonstrated by our Communications, Patrol, Real Time Intelligence Center and Major Crimes Unit during this incident is second to none.”
Leyva told police that her husband is outgoing and often jokes with children, calling them “Papito,” which she warned him not to do because people might not interpret them the same way.
In Spanish, Leyva told the victim her husband was joking and Pintueles Hernandez told police he had no intention of leaving with the child.
Pintueles Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released from jail on $100,000 bond and his next court hearing is scheduled for January 29.