SEBASTIAN — A 70-year-old man accused of trying to lure two teenage girls into his van last week has violated the terms of his pretrial release after his court-ordered GPS ankle monitor ran out of battery, court records show.
Charles Henry Hooss was released from the Indian River County Jail on Sept. 29 on a $50,000 bond, just days after his arrest on two counts of attempted kidnapping. As part of his release conditions, signed by Judge Nicole P. Menz, Hooss was required to wear an ankle monitoring device and follow strict supervision rules.
But on Oct. 2, pretrial supervision officers received alerts that the device’s battery was low, followed by multiple warnings sent directly to Hooss through the monitor, according to a probable cause statement. Despite acknowledging the alerts, Hooss failed to charge the unit, causing it to fully deplete.
During his initial meeting with a Pretrial Specialist at the jail on Sept. 29, Hooss was given a copy of the supervision order, which was explained to him in detail. He signed the document, indicating he understood the requirements, including the need to charge the monitoring device daily. He was then fitted with the ankle bracelet, which was activated and confirmed to be working properly.
The violation led the judge to revoke his bond and send him back to jail.
Hooss’ underlying charges stem from an incident on Sept. 27 at Schumann Drive Park in Sebastian. Police said he approached two girls, ages 13 and 14, whom he did not know, and tried to entice them into his white Chrysler van by offering marijuana and asking to use their cellphones. The attempt was thwarted when the brother of one of the girls intervened and called 911.
Inside the van, authorities found pre-rolled marijuana cigars and noted that the rear seats had been removed. Hooss’ cellphone was on the floor in the rear storage area. Witnesses corroborated the girls’ accounts, describing Hooss’ actions as a clear kidnapping attempt interrupted by the brother’s confrontation.
Hooss is currently being held at the Indian River County Jail without bond.
