The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A teenage girl walking to school on Monday was allegedly approached by a man in possession of a handgun who tried to force her into his vehicle. The man has pleaded not guilty to these accusations.
Garrett Evans Webber was driving near Ridgecrest Intermediate School in Rancho Palos Verdes when he believed something was hurled at his truck. Webber then reportedly exited his vehicle and accosted a 13-year-old on her way to school pointing a gun at her and trying to coerce her into his truck. The girl screamed and ran to the school, while witnesses recorded the truck’s license plate number and alerted the authorities.
Webber drove off and deputies searched the area for him, and during that period the school was locked down for safety reasons. He was found a short time later at his apartment where detectives also discovered several guns, and other evidence supporting the case that they did not disclose.
After being taken into custody 54-year-old Webber was charged with one felony count of attempted kidnapping of a victim under age 14 and one felony count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. He is being held on $500,000 bail and has a scheduled court date on November 20.
Webber has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him.
Detectives have been unsuccessful in discovering any previous connection between Webber and the victim. They also discovered he has no prior legal records relating to this type of crime. They have thus far assumed the event was an isolated incident, and no motive has been revealed.
If Webber is found guilty of the accused crimes he faces a maximum penalty of up to 19 years in prison.
If you or someone you love is suspected of kidnapping, and/or assault with a deadly weapon, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.