ALLIANCE, Ohio — Joshua Freyermuth, the man accused of attempting to kidnap a child in Alliance, is facing several charges amid a weekend of alleged crimes.
The 39-year-old made his initial appearance in Alliance Municipal Court on Monday to answer to felony charges of attempted kidnapping and aggravated possession of drugs, plus a misdemeanor count of obstructing official business. He did not enter a plea for either of the felony charges and bond was set at $100,000. Freyermuth is due back in court on Sept. 30.
According to Alliance police, Freyermuth attempted to lure an 11-year-old boy away from the child's property on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. by stating that "I need to talk to you." However, police say the boy refused to cooperate. Freyermuth then allegedly tried to grab the child, but "was unsuccessful" due to the presence of a dog. The suspect fled the area on foot.
On Sunday afternoon, an Alliance Municipal Court judge signed off on a warrant for Freyermuth's arrest. He was taken into custody at approximately 5:50 p.m. at a home in Columbiana County.
PREVIOUS ARREST
According to a separate Alliance police report, on Friday at 3:25 p.m., Freyermuth was in the 500 block of South Mechanic Avenue during a "suspicious vehicle investigation."
Police say they received a complaint about Freyermuth's vehicle being in the area and driving in circles. It was also believed by the complainant that Freyermuth was "attempting to speak to kids in the area." Officers located Freyermuth and initiated a traffic stop.
The police report notes that Freyermuth was found to have approximately 1.6 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the steering wheel of his van, plus a glass bubble pipe "with a quantity of methamphetamine inside of it" found hidden under the driver's seat. As police were placing the suspect under arrest, they allege that "with the purpose to prevent/delay officers," Freyermuth lied about his activities, changed his story multiple times, and provided misinformation despite knowing an official investigation was underway.
Freyermuth was taken to Alliance City Jail and charged with possession of methamphetamine(F-5), obstructing official business(M-2), and possession of drug paraphernalia(M-4). He was released on his own recognizance with an order to appear in court this week.
In Friday's arrest report, Alliance police added the following notation:
"**There is no reason to believe the defendant was in the area "looking for children", despite the resulting arrest** It is believed the allegation was partially due to a social media post, by another individual, from a few days prior that the defendant acknowledged."
