PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland police have arrested a man suspected of trying to kidnap a 6-year-old boy last week in the Pearl District.
Erick Alexander, 30, is accused of grabbing a boy who was walking with his dad in the area of The Fields Park near Northwest 11th Avenue and Overton Street on Dec. 14.
Police said the boy's father fought him off and he ran away.
Alexander was later connected to four other incidents that occurred the day before and the day after the attempted kidnapping in which community members were "troubled enough by his behavior that they called 911," police said in a news release.
On Wednesday afternoon, someone called 911 to report they recognized Alexander as the suspect. Police located and arrested him near Northwest 10th Avenue and Northwest Davis Street, less than a mile from where the attempted kidnapping took place.
Court records show that Alexander has been living on the streets and has past convictions for burglary, theft, ID theft and had a warrant out for a probation violation.
Alexander was booked at the Multnomah County jail on charges of second-degree kidnapping and an unrelated warrant. His bail was posted at $250,000.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Above video attached to this story aired on Dec. 15, 2021.