Suspect in kidnapping/carjacking has been caught

Crying and alone, a 10-year-old boy walked along Beach Boulevard Tuesday.  For a few terrifying miles, he was inside a car with an alleged carjacker, but the man let the boy go and took off.

Police say that suspect- now identified as 28-year-old James Meyer- has now been caught.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the boy named David was sitting alone in his grandmother’s car while she went to a cashier at the Murphy USA on Beach and Southside. She left the keys in the ignition.

“The suspect came up to the driver’s side of the vehicle, looked into the vehicle, where there was a 10-year-old boy sitting in the passenger front seat,” said JSO Public Information Officer Melissa Bujeda.

JSO says Meyer stopped to pick up some items at the Logan’s Point Apartments 2.6 miles away, and dropped off the boy at the Value Place Hotel parking lot nearby. He then abandoned the vehicle as well.

A JSO officer spotted the boy walking alone. The boy did not flag the officer down, but he realized the boy was in trouble, according to Bujeda.

“Out of all the outcomes, this is the best we could have asked for,” Bujeda said.

Rescue workers checked David out and determined he was fine.  There was no threat ever made to the child and no weapons were seen at any time.

Tuesday night, a witness called police saying she had seen the suspect shortly before the kidnapping. She gave a very detailed description, according to JSO. Police were able to get surveillance footage from the Walmart where he was seen, and that was sent to all patrols.

We’re told the suspect was caught early this morning breaking in to an occupied home on Northwood Road and burglarizing the victim’s truck. Meyer claims he was looking for the keys in order to steal the truck, according to the incident report.

JSO says Meyer is being charged with kidnapping, auto theft, and petit theft.