Suspect arrested in attempted kidnapping of girl walking to school in Westminster

WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Police said on Friday they have arrested a man accused of trying to kidnap a girl at gunpoint in Westminster last week.

The Westminster Police Department said on Oct. 25, a girl was walking to school alone just after 7 a.m. when she said a silver vehicle approached her near West 125th Avenue and Delaware Street.

She said the man driving the vehicle threatened her with a gun and told her to get in. She refused and said the man grabbed her backpack and drove off, according to police. She made it safely to school and reported the crime. 

> The video above is our original reporting on the crime.

On Friday, police said that hours after the attempted kidnapping, officers found 31-year-old Jeremiah Mullins in the 12000 block of North Melody Drive and took him into custody without incident. They also recovered a black handgun.

Westminster Police said they did not immediately release news of the arrest to the public “to protect the integrity of the investigation.” After additional investigation this week, police said, they learned that Mullins was suspected in a series of crimes.

The case was presented to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office on Friday afternoon for an official filing decision. The DA’s office filed several charges, including aggravated robbery, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, aggravated motor vehicle theft and possession of a weapon by a previous offender.

Court records show Mullins was on parole. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2019 after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery with a weapon. The original charges in that case included second-degree kidnapping, but that charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

A judge set a cash-only bond of $1 million.