Ohio man accused of kidnapping 5-year-old wanted to 'run away' with her: FBI
11/24/2021 2:03 pm PST
CLEVELAND (TCD) -- A 36-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly kidnapped a 5-year-old girl and transported her from Ohio to Illinois.
The Cleveland Division of the FBI announced in a statement Tuesday that they took Jonathan Stinnett of Massillon, Ohio, into custody and charged him with kidnapping.
According to the FBI, Stinnett and his fiancée were reportedly babysitting the girl and took her to a local park and McDonald’s on Nov. 11. The girl’s mother reportedly told Stinnett and his fiancée to have the girl home by 7 p.m. The mother phoned Stinnett at 7:07 p.m. because her daughter was not home yet, but he did not reply to calls or text messages. She reportedly tried again at 7:23 p.m. to no avail. The mother subsequently reported her daughter missing to the Jackson Township Police Department.
The Akron Beacon Journal reports Stinnett allegedly said he was taking the girl to the restroom but never returned to his fiancée.
Jackson Township Police wrote a statement saying the girl and Stinnett were last seen on the 7200 block of Fulton Drive NW, and they were believed to be traveling in a silver 1991 Ford Aerostar minivan.
The FBI said in their statement that the McLean County Sheriff’s Office in Bloomington, Ill., got a call Nov. 12 about a "suspicious vehicle parked in the area." Deputies checked the license plate and saw it was connected to the missing 5-year-old. McLean County deputies reportedly approached the minivan and spoke with Stinnett, who had outstanding warrants. Deputies spotted the girl inside the car and said she "appeared frightened."
Stinnett reportedly told the FBI the girl was his "friend." He was taken into custody in McLean County and allegedly admitted he wanted to "escape" and "run away" with the little girl. According to the FBI, his intentions for kidnapping the girl were allegedly "for his own sexual gratification."
The girl was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
According to WJW-TV, Stinnett’s fiancée has not been charged.
Stinnett was extradited from Illinois and is back in Ohio, where he was booked into the Stark County Jail.
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