Judge says case against alleged Marietta attempted kidnapper will proceed

A Cobb County magistrate judge on Wednesday found probable cause for the case against a Marietta man accused of attempting to kidnap a 9-year-old boy to go forward.

Michael Beltran, 51, allegedly approached the boy in a Marietta Walmart bathroom and told him his mother had left the store and he needed to leave with him. He then grabbed the boy's arm, police said.

The boy broke free and ran to his mother, Tomi Cooper, who called 911.

Police located Beltran, who was still inside the store, and arrested him on charges of felony kidnapping and misdemeanor simple battery.

He has been held in the Cobb County jail since the June 6 incident without bond.

“Man, I just wanted to choke him,” Cooper told Channel 2 Action News at the hearing. “I know that sounds bad, but I wanted to choke him. Punch him in the face. For what he did to my child.”

Attorney Robert Beckwith, who’s representing Beltran, decided not to address the issue of bond.