PORT ORANGE, Fla. — An 81-year-old Florida man attempted to buy an 8-year-old girl from her mother for $200,000 at a Port Orange Walmart, police said.
Hellmuth Kolb was arrested Saturday on charges of simple battery and false imprisonment.
Police said a woman was sitting with her daughter on a bench inside the Walmart when Kolb approached, asked if she was married and started bidding on her daughter.
The woman said she got up to leave, but Kolb grabbed her daughter and kissed her daughter’s wrist.
According to an arrest report, the woman left with her daughter and alerted store security.
Authorities said the exchange was caught on camera, and Kolb was identified through his credit card transaction and social media.
The woman posted about the incident on Facebook.
Police said another woman told them she had a similar incident a month earlier with a man fitting Kolb's description.
Kolb told police he could not remember if he grabbed the girl, according to the arrest report.
Police are checking to see if there are any similar instances he's been involved in.
A judge ordered Kolb not to have any contact with the girl or her mother.
It was Kolb’s first arrest in Volusia County.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/11-06-2024/t_1c137fb9bbd848fe9e93acaeb1b7a830_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/6XD7IMKGJ5EGHA2PLZZEBC2JU4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/PKHQRCPOARGWXH7YMAH6J2SRGQ.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BEHKFPKWNNDU3M5SDRQCHOXGKM.JPG)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/11-07-2024/t_8f560a278f514e13821d08b420f063a3_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)