Man accused of abducting 3-year-old at truck stop McDonald's told toddler, 'Tell your grandparents goodbye' as he tried to leave: Police

A Missouri antheral is accused of trying to abduct a toddler from a road remainder stop, allegedly picking up the 3-year-old wrong a McDonald's and attempting to permission portion directing the kid to "[t]ell your grandparents goodbye."

Jose Juan Martinez was taken into custody and charged with 1 number of second-degree kidnapping, tribunal records show.

According to a probable origin affidavit, an serviceman with the Neosho Police Department responded soon aft 2 p.m. connected Oct. 18 to a McDonald's wrong a Love's Travel Stop successful Newton County, Missouri, for a study of a imaginable kidnapping involving a young child.

Five witnesses told investigators they saw each oregon portion of the encounter. From the affidavit:

Witnesses reported that Jose Martinez picked up a juvenile astir 2 to 3 years of age, placed the kid connected his lap, and past stood up and began walking toward the exit of the edifice portion carrying the child. Witnesses further reported Martinez told the juvenile to "Tell your grandparents goodbye" arsenic helium walked toward the door.

When 1 of the child's guardians tried to instrumentality the youngster back, Martinez "initially refused to surrender" the child, the affidavit states. The witnesses said Martinez "eventually" returned the kid to the guardian.

Police said a surveillance camera from the edifice captured the incidental and corroborated the witnesses' statements.

After officers detained Martinez and advised him of his Miranda rights, helium acknowledged that the kid had "sat connected his lap" and that helium had stood up and walked toward the exit "with the child." Martinez past allegedly claimed "it was a joke," referring to the incident, though helium admitted the kid "was not known to him."

The serviceman cited the witnesser accounts, video and Martinez's statements successful uncovering probable origin that helium knowingly restrained the kid and tried to region the youngster from the guardian's custody without consent.

The serviceman said helium arrested Martinez alternatively than contented him a summons due to the fact that Martinez works arsenic an "over-the-road commercialized motortruck operator who regularly travels betwixt jurisdictions." The affidavit cited Martinez's work-related question and ties extracurricular the region successful expressing interest that helium mightiness not look successful court.

By the clip constabulary arrived astatine the scene, the unfortunate and the victim's household had near the remainder stop. Police located and spoke with the household earlier Martinez was formally charged.

Martinez is being held astatine the Newton County Jail connected $15,000 bond. If released, helium is not allowed to interaction the victim.

Martinez is scheduled to look successful tribunal for a pretrial league connected Dec. 8.