ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The victim in an attempted kidnapping in St. Augustine told Action News Jax that she is still scared and shaken up.
The man accused of trying to lure a woman into his SUV Wednesday in St. Augustine appeared before a judge on Thursday and bonded out of jail.
William Cesery, 25, of Jacksonville was arrested Wednesday on an attempted kidnapping.
The judge gave him a $25,000 bond and said he couldn’t have any contact with the victim.
Cesery’s attorney argued that his alleged behavior could stem from an accident years ago. Florida Fish and Wildlife said Cesery was on a jet ski when he slammed into a boat.
The state argued that the details in Wednesday’s incidents are similar to a battery case in which he is on probation. Prosecutors wanted him to be held with no bond.
Authorities said Cesery tried to give a 21-year-old woman a ride in St. Augustine and when she denied multiple advances, he grabbed her by the arm and tried to pull her into an SUV. He stopped when a witness honked their horn, law enforcement said.
Cesery was caught by authorities while he was allegedly trying to do the same thing to another woman.
“I’m a little shaken up right now and, to be quite honest, scared,” the victim told Action News Jax
Cesery’s parents were in the courtroom and after his appearance, his mother would only say that this is all a mess.
Cesery’s next court date hasn’t been set.
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