Suspect accused of pulling boy from mother’s arms
Dheeraj Kumar Upadhayay, 42, Clintonville, is charged with forceful abduction of a child and burglary.
According to the criminal complaint, Upadhayay knocked on his neighbor’s door at the Clintonville Motel.
When the tenant opened the door, he allegedly pushed his way into her room, grabbed her 3-year-old boy, and said he was taking him.
The mother told police that Upadhayay said he needed her son because he had dogs.
The woman told Upadhayay her son was allergic to dogs, and she would not allow her son to go anywhere with a stranger.
The mother struggled over the boy, and her 13-year-old daughter ran to get the motel manager.
When the manager arrived, Upadhayay was still trying to pull the boy out of the mother’s arms.
The manager repeatedly demanded that Upadhayay let the boy go and leave the room.
Clintonville police arrived at the motel and reported finding Upadhayay passed out in his room.
Officers yelled and shook him, but Upadhayay remained unresponsive for awhile.
When he woke up, Upadhayay appeared confused and intoxicated, the complaint says.
He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of felony child abduction.
Upadhayay was released from custody after posting a $5,000 cash bond.