Two passers-by are being credited with putting an end to a possible child abduction in Syracuse, New York over the weekend. Their swift action resulted in the arrest of James H. Gilkeson, 49, of Kirkwood, NY, who has been charged with a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child. Additional charges, including attempted kidnapping, are pending based on further investigation.
The 10-year-old girl, who is not being identified, has been instrumental in providing details of the incident, which occurred at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. The girl was leaving the Big Apple Market in the city’s Valley section, after having walked to the market to pick up milk and bread.
According to her statement, she left the store and saw Gilkeson standing by the gas pumps, eating crackers. 'I came out of the store and tried to walk real fast because I thought that he was waiting for me,' she stated in court documents.
Gilkeson then asked if she wanted a ride, and the girl refused. She stated that he became more adamant, and ultimately she got into his car. It was at this point that Monique Williams, who was driving past the scene and thought that the situation seemed unusual, stopped her vehicle and approached Gilkeson’s car, telling the girl to get out. Then, Jerry Searight, an employer of the Syracuse Department of Public Works, drove up and blocked Gilkeson’s vehicle until police arrived on the scene.
In a court appearance on Monday, Gilkeson’s attorney argued that there was insufficient evidence supporting the charge of endangerment since the girl had gotten into the vehicle under her own power. City Judge Langston McKinney sided with the prosecution, represented by Assistant District Attorney Michael Price, setting bail at $3,000, and adjourning the case until Thursday.
