Homeless Man Disguised as a Woman Arrested for Attempting to Kidnap Child

A homeless man wearing a blond wig, makeup, pearls, and high heels has been arrested for allegedly attempting to snatch an 11-year-old boy outside his Ohio home, according to police.

Joshua Freyermuth, 39, is accused of approaching the boy and his dog in Alliance, southeast of Akron, on Sunday, September 22, and trying to lure him away—just days after being released following a drug bust.

Freyermuth allegedly told the boy, “I need to talk to you.” When the boy refused to approach him, Freyermuth reportedly attempted to grab the child. However, the boy managed to break free, prompting Freyermuth to flee.

The boy’s father, Zachery Thurmond, recounted that when Freyermuth grabbed his son’s arm, their dog attacked him, causing him to stumble back. “He kicked off his heels—my son said he had white high heels on—and then took off running down the street,” Thurmond said.

Freyermuth, described as homeless by authorities, was apprehended shortly after the incident. His arrest came just two days after he was taken into custody on drug charges when police discovered methamphetamine in his car, although he was later released.

In that incident, Freyermuth was pulled over after police received reports of a suspect driving around trying to engage with children.

Mug shots from his arrests show Freyermuth wearing two different styles of blonde wigs and makeup.

He was arraigned on an attempted kidnapping charge in Alliance Municipal Court on Monday, September 23, where he repeatedly denied trying to snatch the boy.

“I wasn’t even there,” he told the judge, still wearing his latest blonde wig. “I didn’t try to kidnap anybody.”

The suspect’s bond has been set at $100,000, and he has been ordered to have no contact with the boy.