Suspect in attempted abductions accused of kidnapping 2-year-old
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A man arrested Thursday in connection with two attempted abductions in Bellingham last week is now suspected in a third incident - the recent kidnapping of a 2-year-old girl from a local Fred Meyer store.
Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young said the man, identified as Jake J. Unick, 27, was arrested Thursday after he turned himself in to police.
His arrest came days after a 13-year-old girl and a 24-year-old woman were nearly abducted last Friday in two separate incidents. In both cases, the suspect had punched or grabbed the victims and sprayed them in the face with an unknown substance. Both victims were able to escape.
As officers were investigating those cases, Unick came to their attention in connection with another case - the disappearance of a 2-year-old girl from the Fred Meyer store on Monday.
Unick, who is an employee at the store but was not working at the time, brought the 2-year-old into the store from outside and handed her to another employee. He allegedly said that he had found the child wandering outside.
But a review of store security video showed Unick holding the child’s hand and leading her through the store past the customer service desk and outside, Young said.
The little girl was eventually reunited with her parents, who told police they did not know Unick and had not given him permission to take their daughter from the store.
During an interview at the police station, Unick told detectives his story that he had come to the store to go shopping when he located the child outside of the store and thought she was lost.
As the detectives were interviewing him, they realized that Unick strongly resembled the suspect in the two recent attempted abductions and that both those incidents occurred within blocks of Fred Meyer, Young said.
In both attempted abductions, the victims described the suspect as a white man in his 20s with lighter colored facial hair and wearing dark rimmed glasses. He was described as being between 5-feet-5-inches to 5-feet-7-inches with a thin build.
Following his interview with police, Unick contacted an attorney. He eventually turned himself in to police at the advice of his attorney.
Unick was booked into Whatcom County jail for investigation of two counts of attempted kidnapping and two counts of fourth-degree assault in connection with the attempted abductions, as well as one count of kidnapping in connection with the abduction of the 2-year-old girl, Young said.
Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young said the man, identified as Jake J. Unick, 27, was arrested Thursday after he turned himself in to police.
His arrest came days after a 13-year-old girl and a 24-year-old woman were nearly abducted last Friday in two separate incidents. In both cases, the suspect had punched or grabbed the victims and sprayed them in the face with an unknown substance. Both victims were able to escape.
As officers were investigating those cases, Unick came to their attention in connection with another case - the disappearance of a 2-year-old girl from the Fred Meyer store on Monday.
Unick, who is an employee at the store but was not working at the time, brought the 2-year-old into the store from outside and handed her to another employee. He allegedly said that he had found the child wandering outside.
But a review of store security video showed Unick holding the child’s hand and leading her through the store past the customer service desk and outside, Young said.
The little girl was eventually reunited with her parents, who told police they did not know Unick and had not given him permission to take their daughter from the store.
During an interview at the police station, Unick told detectives his story that he had come to the store to go shopping when he located the child outside of the store and thought she was lost.
As the detectives were interviewing him, they realized that Unick strongly resembled the suspect in the two recent attempted abductions and that both those incidents occurred within blocks of Fred Meyer, Young said.
In both attempted abductions, the victims described the suspect as a white man in his 20s with lighter colored facial hair and wearing dark rimmed glasses. He was described as being between 5-feet-5-inches to 5-feet-7-inches with a thin build.
Following his interview with police, Unick contacted an attorney. He eventually turned himself in to police at the advice of his attorney.
Unick was booked into Whatcom County jail for investigation of two counts of attempted kidnapping and two counts of fourth-degree assault in connection with the attempted abductions, as well as one count of kidnapping in connection with the abduction of the 2-year-old girl, Young said.
Unick should be made into a Eunuch. Really, this is a sex offender who will keep having multiple victims - oh wait, like the rest of them. And like the ones in the sex offender house in my neighborhood - on the interurban trail and 2 blocks from the school - who incidently all have repeated offenses on their sex offender warning cards mailed out to my neighborhood. All are violent with rapes and abductions.
Beat me to it (Unick). Sorry about your neighborhood though.
This young man is a ticking time-bomb whose conscience still seems to be in-tact. Continuing to be given the chance, all it will take for these situations or opportunities to escalate to rape and/or murder is for the systematic wearing down of the internal fight between the good and evil Jake. I served on a murder trial in Bellingham several years ago where a 17 year old killed a 7 year old. One part of the trial that had little to do with evidence but a lot to do with outcome was the complete breakdown in the early support system for that young man. Mental health professionals in the city, when he had insurance, played pingpong with his troubled life. I hope this doesn't happen for Jake, and all of the unsuspecting young girls and women of Bellingham.
So did he do anything to the girl? I sure hope not!! When this man is free again I hope the police keep an eye on him. He seems determined to eventually complete whatever sick fantasy he has goin on in his twisted mind.
@lovinTruth of course he did. That was his point of taking her for.
As a mother of a 2 year old myself, it baffles me that a 2 year old can be taken from a store without the parent's knowledge. My little girl rides in the cart and doesn't leave my eyesight for a second.Â
I am soooooooo glad that the parents got their little girl back. That could have ended tragically. I'm also glad the suspect was caught. People like that are dangerous!
@Tattooed_Angel2Â Actually, it wouldn't baffle me too much at all, considering how lots of parents don't bother watching what their kids are doing in stores. Â I see the grownups moving to the next aisle all the time, assuming their little ones will follow - those kids are usually busy looking at something interesting or not even watching where their parents are going.
One time I saw this little girl lost and wanting her mom. Â I didn't want to look too weird so I did not touch or come too close to her, but did ask where her mom might be...the mom comes from several aisles away, saying she "was right here all along." Â BS...if you were, your daughter wouldn't have been crying for her mom! Â Just disgusts me!
@Tattooed_Angel2 Unfortunately there are no requirements to become a "parent".
How does one leave a toddler unattended in a store? Lucky this ended well..... Sicko.