Clayton man accused of kidnapping denies guilt
A man accused of kidnapping a young boy from East Point denied all charges in a hearing Wednesday.
Charlie Woods, 54, faces charges of cruelty to children, false imprisonment and reckless driving for allegedly kidnapping his ex-girlfriend’s son and keeping him in the trunk of a car.
The 9-year-old boy was found outside of the Department of Driver Services Tuesday morning. A woman saw him peeking his head out of the trunk of the car, supposedly to get air, Channel 2 Action News reported Tuesday.
The woman, who did not want to be identified on television, went to the trunk and asked the child what he was doing in there. The boy told the woman that his mother’s ex-boyfriend told him hide in the trunk. The woman helped the boy out of the trunk and called police who arrived on the scene and arrested Woods.
Woods appeared in court Wednesday for a bond hearing and denied kidnapping the child, repeatedly saying “I did not do it. I did not do it.”
Police said on Tuesday that Woods was ordered to stay away from the child because of mental illness. Channel 2 reported Wednesday that Woods threatened his ex-girlfriend via text message after their breakup.
About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
