Sedalia man charged after reports of attempted child kidnapping
A Sedalia homeless man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly tried to kidnap a 10-year-old girl from the front yard of a home she was staying in.
According to court documents, multiple witnesses told police Corey T. Owens was a homeless man staying at the same home as the victim in the 300 block of West Seventh Street.
Police were able to get video footage of the encounter, which showed the girl playing in the yard when Owens came off of the front porch and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her down Moniteau Avenue. In the footage, police said they saw Owens put the girl against a car and pace nervously, scanning the area before grabbing the victim and carrying her further south on Moniteau Avenue. The victim girl tried to get away, kicking her legs, police said. Witnesses also said they could hear her screaming, saying, “He’s trying to steal me.”
Eventually, neighbors confronted Owens and called the police, court documents said.
When authorities arrived, Owens was not cooperative and had to be detained with handcuffs and a restraint device, police said. Owens also had 2.1 grams of meth on him at the time of the encounter, according to court documents.
Owens was previously convicted of drug possession and was released from prison Dec. 3, the documents said.
He is now charged with felony kidnapping, drug possession, third-degree assault and resisting and interfering with arrest.
