YPD: Man who tried to lure boy arrested, released

Yuma police arrested and later released a man who allegedly attempted to lure a 12-year-old boy into his vehicle by offering a cellphone.

Cody Hill was arrested and booked into the Yuma County Detention Center on suspicion of custodial interference. He was released later in the day pending further investigation, police said.

Officers responded to the area of East 37th Street and Hinckley Drive at about 7:50 a.m. Tuesday after someone reported that a man had tried to “kidnap” the boy. After the boy refused to enter the vehicle, the suspect reportedly fled the area.

Police described the suspect as a white male in his 30s and the suspect vehicle as an older red van.

An officer located the vehicle in the 3600 block of Avenue 8½ E and performed a traffic stop. He took the driver of the vehicle, Cody Hill, 25, into custody.

Explaining why Hill was arrested on suspicion of custodial interference and not kidnapping, Sgt. Lori Franklin noted that “for kidnapping you have to prove the intent to hold for ransom, for involuntary servitude, to inflict death, physical injury or sexual offence, and so on. We cannot prove that.”

She added that custodial interference is when someone tries to entice or keep someone from lawful custody. The suspect and the victim are not related as far as police know, Franklin said. There were no reported injuries in reference to this case.

The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to call the Yuma Police Department at 928-373-4700, or 78-CRIME at 928-782-7463 to remain anonymous.