A dramatic incident unfolded at a Shell gas station in Marietta, Georgia, where surveillance footage captured a mother using a gas pump to defend her child from an attempted abduction. The suspect, identified as Jerahn Tucker, approached the family's vehicle shortly after midnight.
Surveillance video shows Tucker, who was shirtless and barefoot, first walking away from the scene and then returning to peer into the car parked at a gas pump. A child inside the vehicle opened the car door and ran around the car, with Tucker pursuing him. The suspect then opened the back door of the car, where a second child was seated, as the first child continued to run.
The mother intervened, grabbing a gas pump and using it to push Tucker away, creating separation between him and the child. This action allowed the child to get back into the car. According to a warrant obtained by Fox 5 Atlanta, the mother later told investigators that Tucker was armed with a gun. Two witnesses also reportedly assisted in intervening.
Police apprehended Tucker after he fled the scene in his vehicle. Officers reportedly found a THC vape in his car. Marietta Police Department Public Information Officer Charles McPhilamy commended the actions of the mother and witnesses, stating that their ability to remain calm and intervene allowed law enforcement to apprehend the suspect.
Tucker was booked into Cobb County Jail and faces multiple charges, including attempted kidnapping and simple assault fear. The manager of the gas station indicated that Tucker had previously been removed from the property on multiple occasions. According to a social media profile, Tucker is an amateur rapper.