BEAUMONT, Texas — A 65-year-old Beaumont man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly attempted to kidnap a woman and her 7-year-old and 9-month-old son from a Beaumont mall.
Robert Cardinale is charged with aggravated kidnapping in connection with the incident that occurred in June 2022. He was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury on Wednesday.
(Editor's note: The above video is from a June 15, 2022 newscast.)
The incident happened on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Beaumont Police responded to Parkdale Mall, located at 6155 Eastex Freeway, after receiving a call about an aggravated kidnapping.
When officers got to the scene, they saw Cardinale leaving the mall through the food court doors with the woman and her children, according to a probable cause affidavit. Cardinale was taken into custody.
Police said Cardinale was armed with a "large folding knife" when he approached the victims in the mall. Cardinale then allegedly told the woman and gestured for her to go with him, according to the affidavit.
The victims said they did not know Cardinale and had never seen him before the incident. The knife was found in Cardinale's left front pants pocket, according to the affidavit.
Cardinale was taken to the Jefferson County Jail and charged with aggravated kidnapping. He is currently being held on a $500,000, according to jail records.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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