Disturbing surveillance video shows the moment a man allegedly tried to kidnap a 4-year-old boy at a Florida Walmart, but the suspect's wife insisted he was “just joking.”
Video recorded Friday at a Lehigh Acres store shows the alleged kidnapper, later identified as Pablo Pintuerez Hernandez, 64, walking up to the toddler who was shopping with his family. It shows him grabbing her wrist.
Authorities said Hernandez told the boy, “Let's go,” and tried to take him away, but the boy's relatives quickly intervened and pulled the boy away from the suspect.
Hernandez, who was with his wife, finished shopping and left the store.
“Investigators worked tirelessly with Real Time Information Center analysts to identify the suspect.” The Lee County Sheriff's Office said:. “Analysts and deputies worked together and leveraged advanced technology to quickly identify and locate Pintuerrez-Hernandez.”
Less than an hour after the abduction, police arrived at Hernandez's home and arrested him on suspicion of false imprisonment of a child under 13.
“The actions of this criminal are extremely disturbing,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “I don't want anyone in Lee County to feel at risk, especially when going out to do simple shopping.”
“My team will stop at nothing to ensure these criminals face the consequences of their actions,” he added.
According to the arrest report The 4-year-old boy was at Walmart with his mother and two sisters when Hernandez approached him and grabbed his wrist, the newspaper obtained.
It was one of the boy's sisters who intervened and pulled his brother away from the suspect. She later told police she felt “fearful” for her baby's safety.
Hernandez's wife, Odalys Vaillant Leyva, who was with him, told lawmakers that her husband was “outgoing and often joked with his children, calling them 'Papito'.” “Ms. Leyva warned her husband not to have these interactions because others would not interpret them as the same as his death,” her report states.
When questioned by deputies, Hernandez allegedly confirmed that he grabbed the child's wrist and that the boy began walking with him, before his sister “became upset and grabbed the boy's other arm.” says the report.
Leyva told the boy's sister that her husband was “joking” and the two left.
“Hernandez explained that this is part of his personality. He likes interacting with children and has done something similar before,” the report states. . “He stated that Hernandez had no intention of leaving the home without the child.”
Hernandez posted $100,000 bail and was released on New Year's Eve. He is scheduled to return to court on January 29th.
