A Florida man was recently taken into custody by the St. Petersburg police following an alleged attempt to abduct a two-year-old boy from his home’s backyard. The accused, 36-year-old Ron Lee Klein Jr., was located by law enforcement officers who were nearby shortly after the alleged abduction attempt on December 27.
According to the arrest report, Klein allegedly entered the private, enclosed backyard of a St. Petersburg home through the gate. He is accused of attempting to take the toddler. However, the family dog, noticing the stranger, began barking loudly, alerting the boy’s foster mother to the unusual activity.
The foster mother, whose identity was not revealed in the arrest report, was alerted by the dog’s barking and spotted Klein in her backyard. She started to chase and yell at Klein, which led him to run away without the child. The report further stated that Klein allegedly tried to pick up the toddler by his arm but stopped his actions when the dog’s barking alerted the foster mother.
The arrest report also disclosed that Klein admitted to trespassing on the property. Surveillance cameras also recorded him entering the property.
Klein was subsequently charged with a felony count of attempted kidnapping and a misdemeanor count of trespassing. He appeared in court on December 29 and is currently being held on a bail of $151,000. No additional court date has been scheduled.
Court records show that Klein has a lengthy history of arrests dating back to 2007, with his most recent arrest taking place in May 2023. At that time, he was charged with trespassing, resisting an officer with violence, and battery of a police officer. He recently pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to time served.