Man Arrested for Attempted Abduction at Walmart in Florida

A shocking incident occurred at a Walmart store in Lehigh Acres, Florida, where a man was arrested for attempting to abduct a young boy. The suspect, identified as Pablo Pintueles Hernandez, is facing charges of false imprisonment of a child under 13, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Surveillance footage captured the moment when a man approached a small child and tried to pull him away. Fortunately, a quick-thinking woman intervened and managed to grab the child back, shielding him behind a nearby shopping cart. Deputies have confirmed that the man seen in the video is Pintueles Hernandez.

The incident took place on Friday, prompting a swift response from authorities. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the suspect had targeted a 4-year-old boy who was shopping with his family. Pintueles Hernandez allegedly grabbed the child’s wrist and attempted to walk away with him.

“Deputies immediately reviewed the surveillance footage and confirmed an unknown man walked up to the child shopping with his family, grabbed his wrist, and forced him to go in his direction before a family member intervened and pulled the child back,” stated the deputies. “Utilizing advanced technology, our Real Time Intelligence Center Analysts worked alongside deputies to identify and locate Pintueles Hernandez within an hour of the incident. Our Major Crimes Unit detectives have since taken over the investigation.”

Further examination of the evidence supported the allegations against Pintueles Hernandez. Detectives confirmed that he had indeed grabbed the child’s wrist, pulled him, and said, “let’s go.” This act of restraint and coercion led to his arrest.

Speaking about the incident, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno expressed his concern for the community’s safety and vowed to bring the perpetrator to justice. He said, “What this criminal did is incredibly disturbing. I never want anyone in Lee County to feel unsafe, especially when going on a simple shopping trip. My team will stop at NOTHING to ensure criminals like this face the consequences of their actions.”