"Girls like you don't make it home:" Registered sex offender accused of attempted kidnapping
KENOSHA COUNTY -- Criminal charges have been filed against a 52-year-old Kenosha man and registered sex offender accused of an attempted kidnapping.
Eric Ward
The accused is Eric Ward. He is facing three charges:
On November 17th, police were dispatched to the area near 65th Street and 18th Avenue in Kenosha, for a report of a suspicious individual.
According to the criminal complaint, a woman reported that a man pulled up beside her in his vehicle, as she was waiting at the bus stop around 11:30 a.m. The man asked the woman whether she wanted a ride -- and indicated he "gives girls rides all the time." He also apparently made a statement indicating that "not all girls make it to their destination."
Shortly thereafter, the woman told police the man parked his vehicle, leaving the vehicle running, and popped his trunk. He left the driver's side door open, and rushed towards the woman. As he approached, the man said: "So you don't need a (expletive) ride, do you? If you don't want to get in this car, I'll put you in this (expletive) car. Little girls like you don't make it home."
The complaint indicates the woman told the man that if he came at her, he was "going to get what he had coming." She then pulled out her phone and dialed 911.
The man then walked back to his vehicle, and remarked that he would see the female again.
The female indicated to police she was "scared out of her mind."
The female was able to get the man's license plate as he drove away, and she provided that to authorities.
Police learned the vehicle was registered to Eric Ward, who was identified as a registered sex offender in Illinois.
Just minutes after this attempted kidnapping, Ward's vehicle was spotted, and stopped by police near 65th Street and 22nd Avenue.
According to the complaint, Ward denied stopping at or speaking with anyone at the bus stop.
He was taken into custody.
A search warrant was executed on Ward's vehicle, and several items of interest were located, including a hammer, a razor knife, a bag containing safety glasses, a safety vest and work gloves, a bag containing miscellaneous tools, black leather gloves and a roll of duct tape, and several zip ties. Investigators determined these items were consistent with things that would assist a perpetrator in seizing/confining an individual without being detected, so that the person could be kept and/or transported elsewhere without their consent.
Police interviewed Ward on November 18th.
According to the complaint, Ward indicated he had encountered a woman at a bus stop while he was "driving around looking for someone to give a ride to in exchange for gas money." Ward said the woman said "no" before he got the chance to explain he was trying to help her by getting her out of the train and home more quickly.
Ward told police he drove off with no further interaction with the woman.
USS Milwaukee
The complaint indicates Ward told police the items found in his vehicle were used by him and others for his job. He indicated his latest job involved cleaning the USS Milwaukee -- wiping things down after tours. Police determined such work didn't seem to require leather gloves, duct tape and zip ties.
The complaint says back in March, Ward appeared in court, charged with felony physical abuse of a child, along with several misdemeanor offenses. A $250 cash bond was imposed, and Ward was ordered to commit no further crimes.
This bond was in effect at the time of the alleged attempted kidnapping.
Ward appeared in court in Kenosha County on Tuesday, November 24th for his preliminary hearing. It was determined there is enough evidence for Ward to stand trial in this case. Ward has pleaded not guilty.
He will next be in court on December 16th.