A 6-year-old boy's family is accused of conspiring to have him kidnapped because he was "too nice" to people in the hopes that he would learn about "stranger danger," according to police in Lincoln County, Missouri.
Sheriff's deputies arrested the boy's mother, Elizabeth Hupp, 25; his grandmother, Rose Brewer, 58; his aunt, Denise Kroutil, 38; and, Nathan Wynn Firoved, 23, on Wednesday.
Kroutil had asked Firoved, a co-worker, to kidnap her 6-year-old nephew to "scare" him because he was "too nice" to people, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
Firoved allegedly lured the boy into his truck on Monday, police said. While inside the truck, Firoved told the boy he would never "see his mommy again" and that he would be "nailed to the wall of a shed."
After the boy started to cry, police said Firoved showed him a handgun and said he would be hurt if he did not stop crying.
Firoved bound the boy's hands and feet with plastic bags and covered his face as they drove, police said. They eventually stopped at the boy's home, where he was taken into the basement.
According to a statement released by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Kroutil took off the boy's pants and told him that he could be sold into "sex slavery." She allegedly was upset that he did not try resisting her.
The boy was eventually unbound and led upstairs, where his family lectured him about "stranger danger," according to police. Investigators believe the incident lasted about four hours.
Family members told police their intent was to educate the boy and felt they did nothing wrong, according to the sheriff's statement.
The boy later told school officials about the incident, who contacted the Division of Family Services, police said. He was placed into protective custody.
Firoved, Brewer and Kroutil have been charged with felony kidnapping, felonious restraint, and felony abuse and neglect of a child, police said. Hupp is charged with felony kidnapping and felony abuse and neglect of a child.
They all remain in police custody under a $250,000 cash bond each. They are scheduled to have arraignment hearings this morning.
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