CULLMAN, Ala. — Two men from Cullman are in custody following an alleged kidnapping attempt at Sportsman’s Lake Park over the weekend.
Deputies responded to reports of two “suspicious individuals” at the park on Sunday, according to the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office. The men were reportedly observed watching and following children, and allegedly used ice cream cones bought from the park’s concession stand to lure some of them away. One of the children targeted was just 5 years old.
The suspects, identified as 46-year-old Robert Lee Hollis and 37-year-old Andrei Anatolyahch Gouchtchine, have been arrested and charged with second-degree attempted kidnapping.
Jesse Javanonic, a frequent visitor to Sportsman Lake Park with her 2-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, expressed her shock and concern over the incident. “It’s a little scary, just because we come here all the time, every week, and things like that just don’t usually happen here,” she said. The event has made her more cautious. “Before, I was confident in letting them play and run and just kind of being their own independent selves. Now I feel like I kind of have to be more alert and more aware of their surroundings.”
Summer Helms, whose daughter is less than 1 year old, echoed these sentiments, stating, “It was really scary. Especially with people just trying to do that to little kids. (You) can’t really trust anyone these days.”
Both suspects are currently held in the Cullman County Jail without bond. Prosecutors have filed to revoke Hollis’ bond and probation from previous, unrelated cases to ensure he remains in custody.
