Man charged with attempted kidnapping of JCPS student from school playground

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A Louisville man is facing a kidnapping charge for attempting to take a child from the grounds of an elementary school.

An arrest report says Evaristo Norberto Perez-Ramirez, 74, of Louisville, says Jefferson County Public Schools police were called to Okolona Elementary School on March 30 after a staff member noticed Perez-Ramirez approach two female students on the playground and tried to get them to come with him.

The report states that at one point Perez-Ramirez grabbed one of the girls by the wrist to get her to come with him. The girl yelled “stop” and ran away.

“I don’t want to believe something like that would happen,” Marion, who lives nearby said. “I know mothers who take their children to the playground, and that’s going to make them not want to go. I take my kids over there. I am afraid for my child’s safety.”

The staffer told Perez-Ramirez to leave the school grounds, but he stood near a fence that separates the school ground from the apartment complex where he lives. Perez-Ramirez finally left through a gap in the fence when school staff approached him.

School staff and students told JCPS police Perez-Ramirez was on the Okolona Elementary School grounds the day before trying to talk with students.

“You can’t take your children anywhere, not even the playground, for them to have fun,” Marion said.

After being given his Miranda rights with help from a translator, Perez-Ramirez told police he only spoke with male children and never to any female students. He also said he never touched any of the children.

Perez-Ramirez was booked into Louisville Metro Corrections. A not-guilty plea was entered during his arraignment today and he was ordered to have no contact with the school or any minor children.

Bond was set at $5,000 cash. A preliminary hearing is set for April 10.

Copyright 2023 WAVE. All rights reserved.