A Pinckney man has been charged with various offenses, including kidnapping and attempted child abduction following an incident at a local park, according to police statements. Jeremy Mills, 38, was arraigned on Sunday and is facing one count of kidnapping/enticing away a child, multiple counts of resisting arrest and assaulting an officer, as well as a count of assault and battery and being a disorderly person, The Detroit News reported.
Police were alerted to Mills' behavior on June 21 during a Food Truck Friday event at Town Square Park, where attendees witnessed the suspect allegedly engaging with children in a manner that made them uncomfortable, playing and touching them unsolicited. While trying to detain the individual, appearing intoxicated, witnesses claim they heard Mills asserting to be an uncle to the children, which police said, while attendees described him as a stranger to the families involved, FOX 2 Detroit has added.
Upon the officer's attempt to apprehend Mills, who was later uncovered to be unacquainted with the children, he responded by hurling a football at the law enforcement personnel and escalated to resisting handcuffs. Once restrained, Mills was escorted from the premises, disturbing the family event with shouted obscenities, as reported by WHMI. His bond is set at $100,000 and, if convicted, Mills could face life imprisonment for the kidnapping charge, alongside additional penalties for his other offenses.
According to The Detroit News, local police stated, "The events held in the downtown area are family-oriented and we have not encountered this level of disruption in the past. We will continue to investigate to ensure that all victims are located and addressed." Further investigation into the matter has been promised as officials work to ascertain the full scope of the incident. Court records did not list an attorney for Mills as of Monday, and his next court appearance is scheduled for July 9.
