A man has been taken into custody on suspicion of an attempted abduction after being involved in two distinct assault incidents, one of which targeted a minor under 16.
The arrested individual, identified as John Moore, 29, allegedly tried to abduct a 14-year-old girl in Kentwood, Michigan, on May 12. The unsettling event occurred around 6 pm when Moore reportedly approached the young girl in his black SUV as she was walking home from school. Surveillance footage captured the swift parking of Moore’s vehicle near the girl on the sidewalk, followed by a sudden attempt to grab her.
During the altercation, Moore reportedly told the girl, “I got you,” as she later recounted to law enforcement. The duo engaged in a physical confrontation, with the teenager managing to fight back and escape to safety.
After the girl, whose identity remains undisclosed due to her minor status, fled the scene, Moore allegedly returned to his vehicle and drove off. Authorities confirmed that the teenager caused injuries to Moore during the struggle, although the specifics of the injuries were not disclosed.
Following Moore’s apprehension, investigators linked him to another incident in the same vicinity on the same day. A 66-year-old woman reported to the Kentwood Police Department that a man assaulted her between 5 pm and 6:30 pm on Poinsettia Avenue Southeast on May 13.
The woman stated that she was tending to her garden when a vehicle approached, and the driver proceeded to speak with her before physically attacking her. With the aid of CCTV footage and witness testimonies, law enforcement promptly identified Moore and placed him under arrest.
Moore is currently detained at the Kent County Correctional Facility with a bail set at $140,000. He is facing charges of assault and battery, unlawful imprisonment, and two probation violations.
Notably, Moore had received a probation sentence the previous summer for offenses related to filming upskirt videos of women and inappropriately touching female shoppers at a grocery store. Surveillance footage captured Moore surreptitiously recording an upskirt video of a woman and lurking in a bathroom to peer at her from an adjacent cubicle.
Approximately a year and a half later, Moore was reportedly deceiving women by claiming there was a spider on their backs. When he approached to assist in removing the alleged spider, he instead grabbed their buttocks, according to local reports.
Despite the allegations, Laura Jouce, Moore’s public defender, portrayed him as a “kind” and “gentle” individual. She emphasized that he has been reflecting on potential substance abuse issues while in custody.
Individuals with information on these incidents or similar cases are encouraged to contact the Kentwood Police Department at (616) 656-6580.
