SEBASTIAN — An elderly man was arrested at a Florida park after police said he tried to entice two young girls to his van by offering them marijuana, leading to charges of attempted kidnapping.
Charles Hooss was taken into custody Saturday afternoon at Schumann Park in Sebastian following a disturbance call, according to a police report. Officers responded around 4:33 p.m. to reports of an adult white male in a black shirt cursing at children.
Upon arrival, the responding officer encountered a group of about 10 people near the park’s bathrooms. The group dispersed as the officer approached, leaving Hooss, who matched the description provided by dispatchers.
Hooss immediately claimed he was having a heart attack and told officers to contact another officer, saying he was giving “all the little kids hell,” particularly pointing to one girl under 14.
The officer separated Hooss from the juveniles and handcuffed him. Hooss then invoked his right to remain silent.
Two juvenile victims, identified in the report only by initials MK and LE, told police that Hooss approached them at the park and tried to engage them in conversation. He asked to use their phones and urged them to come look in his car, offering them “weed” as an incentive, the report said.
MK’s brother confronted Hooss after hearing the interaction that sparked an argument, which prompted someone to call the police. Two additional witnesses provided statements corroborating the girls’ accounts, describing Hooss’ behavior as “obviously wrong” and aimed at luring the juveniles.
Officers examined Hooss’ white Chrysler van, parked in the middle of the lot with its driver and rear doors open facing the bathrooms. In plain view, they spotted a brown, cone-shaped cigar on the armrest between the front seats — a type commonly used for smoking marijuana — along with additional pre-rolled cigars in packaging in the rear.
The van’s rear seats had been removed, and Hooss’ cellphone was found on the floor in the back storage area. Police verified the phone worked by calling it from the department’s landline.
The investigation concluded that Hooss was attempting to isolate the girls using the pretext of needing a phone and enticing them with marijuana found in his vehicle. The brother’s intervention thwarted what police described as an “obvious kidnapping attempt.”
Hooss was transported to the Indian River County Jail and charged with two counts of kidnapping. Bond was set at $50,000.
