mother and her child, another officer located the suspect, later identified as Kpelewah.

The mother told police that she and her child arrived home at about 1:40 p.m. June 1. She parked the vehicle on the street in front of her apartment and she and her child went to the curbside apartment mailbox to get their mail. They saw a man get out of a black vehicle and say goodbye to the driver. She had never seen him before, she said, and he approached them at the mailbox.

Kpewelah allegedly asked the child what her “favorite sweet” is. The child stayed close to her mom and did not answer him. He then allegedly introduced himself as “Uncle Lynn” and grabbed the child’s hand and asked her again to reveal her favorite sweet. The child answered “chocolate” and Kpewelah told her he had Butterfingers inside his apartment.

Kpewelah then picked up the child under the armpits, held her and started carrying her toward an apartment. The mother followed for an estimated 20 yards telling Kpewelah “no.” He apparently ignored her and kept walking for about another 10 yards, and the mother grabbed onto her child’s arm. The child was crying and calling out “mom!” The mother was yelling and threatening to call police as she pulled harder on the child’s arm, and Kpewelah let the child go. Mom and daughter ran to their apartment while Kpelewah went into another apartment. The mother said her child was very shaken by the incident and was crying heavily.

Police interviewed witnesses who didn’t see the incident, but had seen Kpelewah’s “unusual behavior” and interacted with him prior to the incident. Another apartment complex resident told police she had picked Kpelewah up from Hastings, Minn., earlier in the day, but had not seen him for over an hour because she had an appointment. She said she had known him for a couple of weeks and they had become friends. She claimed not to know anything about the attempted abduction nor did she see Kpeleweh enter her apartment afterward or know how long he’d been there.

While officers were speaking with the mother outside the apartment complex, police saw a man fitting the description the mother had provided walking along the east side of a building in the 400 block of South Wasson Lane. The man, later identified as Kpelewah, began walking in the direction of the mother, child and police toward the street. The mother positively identified him as the man who tried to take the child, and police ordered him to stop. When he did not comply, an officer held out his hand and ordered him again to stop. According to the officer, Kpelewah was staring into the distance and ignoring commands. An officer grabbed his arm and tried to detain him, but Kpelewah resisted and tried to pull away. When he again refused to comply, the officer put his hands behind his back and handcuffed him. Kpelewah began yelling and swearing; he also accused the officer of arresting him because he is Black. The report stated officers could smell alcohol and Kpelewah’s speech was slurred. He allegedly continued to yell and argue until police placed him in a squad.

Kpelewah was taken to Pierce County Jail, where he allegedly remained confrontational and belligerent with jail staff and officers.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 8 at Pierce County Courthouse.