BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A West Palm Beach man was denied bond in court on Thursday morning after police say he kidnapped a 12-year-old boy who was walking home from school.
Boynton Beach police responded to the scene in the area of 500 W. Gateway Blvd. around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving multiple 911 calls in reference to a kidnapped boy.
"We saw a young kid and another guy arguing in the car," said Angel Perez, a delivery driver. "They were hitting each other."
Perez said he and his co-worker saw a white truck driving erratically on Hypoluxo Road, then saw a child jump from the vehicle.
"Next thing you know, the poor little guy jumped out," said Perez. "He jumped out and hit the concrete face-first."
Perez and his co-worker followed the truck south onto Interstate 95 all the way to the Gateway Boulevard exit, where they blocked the truck in and detained the driver, later identified as 26-year-old Timothy Miller, until police arrived.
"We went in, we got the guy, we put him to the floor," said Perez. "He was fighting with him. I got the cops. The cops came, and we could barely get him. That's how strong he was, even with the cops."
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Officers made contact with the 12-year-old boy on Hypoluxo Road. According to a news release, the boy had abrasions to his forehead, arms, and hands, which is consistent with jumping out of a vehicle.
The boy told detectives that he had been dropped off by the school bus in the 3000 block of Hypoluxo Rd. and was walking eastbound on Hypoluxo when a white pickup truck, driven by Miller, pulled up next to him to offer him a ride.
The boy told detectives that Miller told him that he gives kids rides all the time and not to worry because he won't do anything weird, and smiled at him.
The boy then agreed to get a ride.
The release said Miller asked the victim if he had any drugs. The boy stated that Miller began to act differently, looking at him strangely, making him feel uncomfortable, and began driving erratically, almost running off the road.
The boy told police he got scared and attempted to open the door, but Miller told him he was not allowed to leave. He stated that he continued to attempt to open the door and Miller accelerated the vehicle. The boy said he then jumped from the moving vehicle, falling to the pavement.
Miller resisted the arrest and was taken into custody. He was transported to the Boynton Beach Police Department where he told detectives he approached the boy to attempt to buy illegal drugs, thinking the boy was 14 to 16 years old.
Detectives say the boy was lured into Miller's vehicle while walking home from school in uniform.
Perez said he was in the right place at the right time to stop trouble. He said he and his co-worker had forgotten a drill at a customer's home, and were circling back to get the piece of equipment when they saw the child.
"If we wouldn't have went back to get the drill, we would've never known what had happened," said Perez.
Perez added he hopes the little boy is OK.
"This was serious, big time, big time," said Perez. "That's why I had to catch this guy. If not, he would've got away and nobody would've been able to get him."
Miller is charged with kidnapping a child under the age of 13, child neglect, resisting arrest with violence, and DUI.
In court on Thursday, a judge denied Miller bond because he's facing a life sentence for the kidnapping charge. Miller was also ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim, witnesses, or minors.
