Alliance boy, 11, charged with making false alarms after alleged attempted kidnapping incident

An 11-year-old boy has been charged with Making False Alarms (M-1) by the Stark County Juvenile Court following an investigation into a reported attempted kidnapping in Alliance. According to Sgt. Christopher McCord of the Alliance Police Department, the charge was filed after a review of all evidence, including interviews with the juvenile involved.

The incident, originally reported on Sept. 22, gained widespread attention when the boy claimed that a man dressed in women’s clothing attempted to abduct him from the front porch of his home in the 900 block of South Webb Avenue. The suspect, identified as Joshua Freyermuth, was arrested later that day in Columbiana County on an attempted kidnapping charge. Social media posts quickly labeled Freyermuth a “child predator,” fueling local concerns.

However, after conducting a thorough investigation, police found several inconsistencies in witness statements and the timeline of events. As a result, the case was presented to a Stark County Grand Jury on Sept. 30. The Grand Jury returned a “no bill,” indicating there was insufficient evidence to move forward with the kidnapping charge against Freyermuth.

Earlier, on Sept. 20, Freyermuth had been stopped by police after reports that he was allegedly “luring kids” in the South Mechanic Avenue and East Oxford Street area. However, police determined that Freyermuth had been searching for an adult woman he had briefly dated, which she confirmed to authorities. Though no credible evidence suggested he attempted to lure children, police discovered methamphetamine and a pipe in his vehicle, leading to his arrest on drug-related charges.

“There were no statements, evidence, or allegations of Freyermuth actually attempting to lure children,” Alliance Police stated regarding the earlier incident.

Following the Grand Jury’s decision, the Alliance Police Department expressed appreciation for the community’s concern about the safety of local children and reaffirmed their commitment to fully investigating all reports of criminal activity.

“We respect the process and decision of the Grand Jury,” the department said in its release. “APD will continue to fully investigate any report of criminal activity, regardless of the outcome.”

The investigation into the original incident remains ongoing.