A Willow Springs man charged with attempted kidnapping after two girls separately reported being approached by a man Tuesday in Hickory Hills will remain in jail while awaiting trial, a Cook County judge ruled Friday.
Judge Kerry Kennedy ordered Nicholas P. Hayes, 28, be detained, saying he poses a real and present threat to the community and young girls. The case was continued to Nov. 2 at the Bridgeview courthouse.
“I would consider him a threat to the community based on his actions, chasing these girls about,” Hickory Hills police Chief Adam Gulczynski said.
Police were called to a shopping center near 95th Street and Roberts Road at 12:30 p.m. after a 14-year-old girl had been approached by a man demanding she get into his car, Gulczynski said.
The man, identified as Hayes, kept moving his car attempting to block the girl’s path until she ran into a store, prosecutors said. A woman leaving the store witnessed what happened and called police, prosecutors said.
Minutes later, a 15-year-old at the same shopping center was asked by Hayes to get into his vehicle, police said. When the girl gave her age, hoping he would leave, he responded “you’re perfect then,” prosecutors said. When the girl starting running, Hayes got out of his van and began chasing her, stopping when a witness intervened, prosecutors said.
Hayes was identified after surveillance footage showed the silver Hyundai SUV he was driving in the parking lot, and interviews with witnesses and surveillance videos, police said.
When Hayes was later stopped by police in Willow Springs, he engaged in fought with two police officers and told them to “go to sleep,” prosecutors said. He was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer.
Police said interviews by the All Our Children’s Advocacy Center, photo lineups and interviews with Hayes also helped identify him as the offender.
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Hayes was wanted on two warrants from the Naperville Police Department and Waukegan Police Department for public indecency, police said.
He has no previous convictions, but was charged with reckless driving and disorderly conduct days earlier after driving onto a soccer field in Burr Ridge where children were playing, and made a statement about “finding his princess,” prosecutors said.