Inset: Jeremiah Smith (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The apartment where Smith allegedly abducted a 7-year-old girl from her bed (WHBQ).
A 19-year-old man in Tennessee is accused of abducting a 7-year-old girl from her bed and carrying her away, then returning to the victim’s home several weeks after the child was able to thwart the initial kidnapping.
Jeremiah Smith was taken into custody last week and charged with one count of especially aggravated kidnapping, court documents reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the Memphis Police Department at about 4:05 a.m. on Nov. 6 responded to an apartment complex in the 3200 block of Johnson Avenue regarding a child abduction. Upon arriving, first responders made contact with the victim’s mother, who said her 7-year-old daughter had just come to her room stating “someone took her from her bed” and brought her outside. Fortunately, the child was able to escape her would-be kidnapper and make it back to the home safely.
Officers then spoke to the victim, who described the ordeal in harrowing detail.
“She advised that while she was in bed, an unknown Black male, thin build, with possibly curly type hair or hair style, [wearing a] dark colored hoodie, and black pants, entered her room and grabbed her, covering her mouth,” the affidavit states. “The victim then advised she was carried to a basketball park in the apartment complex where she was able to remove herself from the suspects grasp. She then advised the suspect picked her back up before pushing her to the ground. The victim advised that she was again eventually able to break free from the suspects grasp and ran back home.”
Investigators obtained surveillance footage of the incident corroborating the victim’s account of what took place. It was determined that the then-unknown suspect was wearing a brown hoodie and black pants when he attempted to take the child.
The victim’s mother on Nov. 24 called police for the second time, reporting that the suspected kidnapper was outside of her house at about 5:40 that morning. The suspect was captured by a surveillance camera as he went back to the same spot — dressed in the same clothes — where he had allegedly abducted the 7-year-old before a knowledgeable neighbor intervened.
The surveillance camera belonged to the neighbor, Juan Cathey, who told police that he first spotted the suspect at “the rear door area of where the kidnapping had occurred” on Nov. 6. After seeing the suspect, Cathey went outside and confronted him about his business on the property. The suspect initially claimed that his aunt lived next door to Cathey.
“Juan [Cathey] advised he told the individual ‘NO, your aunt does not stay there,’” the affidavit states. “I asked Juan [Cathey] how was he sure. I was advised by Juan [Cathey] he knows many of his neighbors, and knows who stayed at the residence to which the unidentified suspect had pointed.”
Cathey further advised that he tried to engage the suspect in conversation and “lure” him closer to the security cameras and stood about five or six feet from the suspect, getting “a good look at his face.” Cathey was then able to pick Smith out of a six-person lineup as the person who was at the victim’s home on Nov. 24.
Smith is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail on bond of $150,000, records show. He is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on Jan. 15.
