A Waupun man was convicted of attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment and battery for an attack on a 22-year-old woman early Thanksgiving morning in 2016.
A jury found Juan Arriaga, 24, guilty of multiple charges after trying to kidnap a woman on Main St. in Waupun around 12:30 a.m. on November 24, 2016.
"The situation could have ended much differently if not for the proactive policing by the City of Waupun Police Department," said Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney.
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. The officer decided to see if the woman was safe and approached them. He saw Arriaga attempted to lead the victim in the opposite direction from where she was originally walking.
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.
The woman eventually yanked her purse from Arriaga and ran toward the officer's car, court documents said.
During an interview, Arriaga told officers he saw the woman while he was at his home and that he had been drinking and was lonely, court documents said.
No date has been set yet for his sentencing.
