Three adults were arrested and charged in connection with an attempted kidnapping in the area of Fourth and Thorne in Winkelman.
On Tuesday, Jan. 15, at approximately 6:35 p.m. a 13-year-old boy reported to Hayden Police that he had been approached by an unknown male in a newer model dark blue or black truck. Hayden Police said the male summoned the boy and when the boy turned to run the male exited the truck and chased him toward the school. The boy was able to locate his coach and they called the police department.
The suspect was described as a “light skinned man, about 6’ tall, wearing a dark colored bandana over his face.”
At 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, Hayden Police conducted a more thorough interview of the victim at the police department. The boy was able to provide police a more detailed description of the incident, vehicle and suspect.
Following the interview, an officer went to the school to conduct a security check and follow-up. The officer identified a vehicle in the parking lot matching the description of the suspect vehicle in this case. The officer quickly identified the vehicle as being driven by a 19-year-old student at the school.
The officer interviewed the 19-year-old male who admitted involvement, reporting that it was just a prank to try and scare the 13-year-old child victim. He implicated two other accomplices, who also admitted to their involvement. Kenneth Hines, 19, and Mary Cantrell, 19, both of Dudleyville, and Katrina Trevizo, 19, of Hayden were arrested and booked into Gila County Jail in Globe.
“As your Chief of Police, I want each of you to know how important the safety of this community and our children are to me and my officers at the Hayden Police Department,” said Chief Tami Villar.
“I want to thank my staff for their quick action, hard work, professionalism and dedication. I also want to thank the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for sending four of their patrol deputies to assist us in ensuring a strong law enforcement presence for the safety of our community. Finally, we thank the school administration for their cooperation and understanding the extreme seriousness and sensitivity of this investigation.
“We do not take incidents of this nature lightly and behavior like this will not be tolerated,” said Villar.
She urged parents and children to continue vigilance when walking to and from school or friends’ houses.