Attempted kidnapping suspect was arrested days before alleged incident

New details have emerged regarding the arrest of Joshua James Freyermuth, 39, of Alliance, who was previously reported to be involved in an alleged attempted kidnapping of a child on Sunday, Sept. 22.

According to a police report obtained by JMN, Freyermuth was actually arrested two days before the alleged incident, on Friday, Sept. 20, during an unrelated traffic stop in the 500 block of South Mechanic Avenue due to allegations that he was circling the area in his vehicle, looking for kids. During that stop, officers found approximately 1.6 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the steering wheel of his van, as well as a glass pipe containing the drug under the driver’s seat.

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Police in Alliance, Ohio, have arrested a man dressed in a wig who is accused of attempted kidnapping. The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Joshua James Freyermuth, was initially arrested days before the alleged attempted kidnapping incident after community members reported suspicious activity. He was charged with drug-related offenses, but at that time, police said there was no reason to suspect he was planning to kidnap children. Freyermuth was arrested again two days later after he allegedly tried to pull a child from a porch. Crime AllianceOhio AttemptedKidnapping CrimeReport NewsUpdate BreakingNews LocalNews StaySafe PublicSafety JordanMillerNews Ohio

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Freyermuth, who was using the alias “Valerie” at the time, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine (a fifth-degree felony), obstructing official business (a second-degree misdemeanor), and possession of drug paraphernalia (a fourth-degree misdemeanor). He was released on a recognizance bond and is scheduled to appear in Alliance Municipal Court on Sept. 25.

In the report, police stated there was no reason to suspect Freyermuth was in the area looking for children on Friday, Sept. 20, despite an initial complaint about his vehicle driving in circles and a social media post alleging suspicious activity. Authorities believed the incident may have been misunderstood due to social media speculation and misinformation shared by another individual in the days leading up to the arrest.

A 911 call from a man Sunday morning stated that Freyermuth tried to kidnap his nephew.

“It’s all over Facebook, ma’am. There’s a guy walking around dressed like a female trying to kidnap kids,” the caller told the dispatcher. “…He grabbed his arm and tried to pull him down to him.”

Freyermuth remains in custody at the Stark County Jail on charges related to that case. Bond is $100,000.

JMN will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. For the latest information, visit jordanmiller.news.