Man accused of trying to kidnap tot by hiding in mom’s truck

An Arkansas man has been arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap a 2-year-old girl from her mother’s truck parked outside a Walmart, where police said he hid under a pile of clothes.

The victim told the police she discovered a stranger, later identified as Timothy Caudle, 58, in her truck after she returned from a shopping trip and placed her tot in the backseat around 7 p.m. Monday.

The mother told authorities the “unknown man” was concealed “under some clothing inside the vehicle,” the Sherwood Police Department said in a press release.

The vehicle break-in that occurred in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter on Highway 107 in Sherwood then took a truly terrifying turn, when Caudle allegedly tried to snatch the woman’s child.

“The victim stated she began yelling at the male subject to get out of the vehicle, and she said he reached for her daughter,” police said.

The mother grabbed the youngster from the truck, but Caudle allegedly refused to let go of the girl right away, leading to a physical struggle. In the end, the woman got the upper hand and was able to pull the tot from the suspect’s clutches to safety.

People who witnessed the thwarted kidnapping had prevented Caudle from getting out of the mother’s vehicle until police arrived.

At the time of his arrest, the 58-year-old Jacksonville resident allegedly gave the cops a fake name.

The mother and child were evaluated and cleared by paramedics at the scene.

Caudle has been charged with breaking and entering, false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a minor, assault, public intoxication and obstructing governmental operation.

Police have not ruled out bringing additional charges against the suspect in this case.

Caudle appeared before a judge Tuesday and was ordered jailed on a $5,000 bond.