(Early is a city in Brown County in west-central Texas)
Early police arrest man in attempted kidnapping of 4-year-old girl
Published 2:50 PM EDT Sep 18, 2020
A man was arrested Thursday in connection with an attempted kidnapping of a 4-year-old at a store here earlier in the week, the Early Police Department said in a Thursday news release.
Ronnie Jackson, 46, of Early has been charged with attempted kidnapping, according to Brown County Jail records. He also was charged with fugitive failure to identify and is being held on a warrant out of Ector County for indecent exposure, the release said.
The Early PD received a tip about Jackson matching the suspect in a store security camera photo released by officers after the alleged kidnapping.
The investigation began at about 8 p.m. Tuesday, when an assistant manager of a store in the 300 block of Early Boulevard said a customer reported a man tried to grab her daughter.
Officers interviewed the mother, who said the suspect followed her around the store, according to an earlier news release.
The mother left the store to drop off her son at gymnastics and pick up her daughter. She then returned to the store, and the suspect still was inside and began following her again, Early PD said.
The mother "said at one point her daughter was a short distance from her and she called her to get beside her. As the daughter got closer to mom, the male lunged toward the child as if he was trying to grab her but missed," the first Early PD release said.
As the mother reported the incident to a store employee, the suspect exited the business and left in an SUV.
"Officers reviewed the videotapes from the store early Wednesday morning and obtained the photo of the suspect, but the video of the attempt to grab the child was out of camera view," the first Early PD release said.
After receiving a tip about Jackson's identity, the Early PD and an officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety went to the suspect's house on Salt Creek Drive in Early.
While talking with officers, Jackson gave a false date of birth, Early police said in the second news release. They eventually were able to obtain his correct information and learned he had a 2014 warrant for a charge of indecent exposure in Odessa.
Jackson was taken to jail, where officers questioned him further about the attempted kidnapping, Early PD said.
"Jackson denied trying to grab the girl from the store but admitted to being there for a short time," Early PD said in Thursday's news release.
Jackson was charged in the attempted kidnapping after officers obtained a warrant, which was served to him in jail.
Early PD stated Jackson lived previously on FM 3100 in Brown County for a short time but also has moved around the state.
https://eu.reporternews.com/story/news/crime/2020/09/18/early-texas-police-arrest-man-ronnie-jackson-attempted-kidnapping-4-year-old-girl/5826998002/