A Waupun man will spend more than seven years in jail for trying to kidnap a woman on Thanksgiving day in 2016.
Juan Arriaga, 24, was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison and 7.5 years extended supervision Tuesday in Fond du Lac County court.
Arriaga allegedly tried to kidnap a woman as she was walking on a Waupun sidewalk around 12:30 a.m. on November 24, 2016.
Police first saw Arriaga following the young woman within 10 feet of her on Main Street, but he then ran away, court documents said.
Later, the officer saw Arriaga appearing to hug the victim, and then saw the woman fall to the ground, according to the criminal complaint. The officer decided to see if the woman was safe and approached them.
Arriaga attempted to lead the victim in the opposite direction from where she was originally walking, the officer said.
The woman screamed "help me" to the officer and Arriaga ran away, court documents said. The officer later found him hiding near a church and arrested him.
"I commend the City of Waupun Police Department and Officer Robert Williams for averting a kidnapping that could have turned into every parent’s worst nightmare," said Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.
During the jury trial, the woman testified that Arriaga pretended he had a gun when she was on the ground and tried to stop her from contacting the officer.
During an interview, Arriaga told officers he saw the woman while he was at his home and that he was lonely, court documents said.
