A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after he allegedly attempted to kidnap two women in Vero Beach, southeast Florida, after his mother recognized the creepy photo released by police showing him hovering outside the homes of his alleged victims.
The teen, whose name has not been revealed, has been charged with one count of attempted kidnapping after approaching the women on July 2 and 7.
The alleged incidents occurred in the Pointe West neighborhood west of Vero Beach.
Both women were able to get away from the teen by screaming, pushing or running.
When the boy was questioned by police he told officers that he was in a 'dream-like' state.
A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after he allegedly attempted to kidnap two women in Vero Beach, southeast Florida. He was seen lurking in the Pointe West neighborhood
The boy was seen lurking outside of a home in the neighborhood when the women were attacked
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said following an interview with the teen, officers believe the boy has mental problems.
'We asked him, is it sexual, what is it? Why is it that you did this?' Sheriff Flowers explained to NBC6.
'His story was that he felt like he was in a dream-like state, that he was watching himself from above, that he didn't know if it was real or it was a dream… We believe that his intent was definitely more.'
During the second incident, the boy revealed that he had been carrying a knife at the time.
The boy's mother recognized her son in some of the still images released by police and confronted him
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said following an interview with the teen, officers believe the boy has mental problems
So far, the teen has only been charged with one count of attempted kidnapping although police know of a third incident in which the same boy followed her home while she had been walking her dog and then banged on her door.
Surveillance images showing the teen stalking the neighborhood led investigators to him.
The child's mother later confronted her son after she appeared to recognize him in the still images from the surveillance footage.
'There's no belief that he's on drugs, but I'll tell you, mom sat in our room today and talked about how he is a compulsive liar, that he believes his own lies, that he's been that way since he was 5 years old, that she can't trust anything that he has to say,' Sheriff Flowers said.
'We believe that he definitely has some issues, some mental health issues… that will be something that the courts will be looking at.'
