Courts and Police

Yuma man in jail for alleged kidnapping
BY JEFFREY GAUTREAUX, SUN STAFF WRITER
Published on: August 6, 2006

A Yuma man appeared in court Sunday after being booked into Yuma County jail Saturday on a charge of kidnapping for allegedly grabbing a 6-year-old girl from in front of her friend’s home and running away with her under his arm. He dropped the girl soon after.

Ryan Merchberger, 20, remains in jail on a bond of $106,000, according to jail officials. He is scheduled to appear in Yuma Justice Court Tuesday in connection with the incident, which occurred at 3:13 p.m. at the Beach Club Apartments, 2350 S. 8th Ave., according to Yuma Police.

Sgt. George Mitchell said Merchberger was arrested by officers later Saturday when he was found in a friend’s apartment in the complex. Merchberger does not live at Beach Club.

Mitchell said the incident, which he called "very strange," allegedly happened like this. The victim and a friend were playing in front of the friend’s home. When the friend went inside to get some water, a male suspect came by and grabbed the victim.

"The next thing anybody heard was the little girl screaming," Mitchell said.

The suspect ran a couple hundred feet and then dropped the girl and kept running. The mother of the friend saw the suspect running away with the girl, police said.

The victim, her friend and the mother positively identified Merchberger later and said they did not know him, according to Mitchell. Merchberger invoked his right to remain silent when questioned by police, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the victim may have received a bump on the head but otherwise was uninjured. He wasn’t aware of any previous police contacts with Merchberger.

Merchberger made his initial appearance Sunday in the Yuma County jail court. Prosecutors must file charges against him by Tuesday or he will be released. Kidnapping is a Class 2 felony.



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