Hiram Man Charged With Kidnapping Mom, 7-Year-Old Son

By KRISTAL DIXON (Patch Staff)

CANTON, GA -- A Canton mother and her son are safe after police tracked down and arrested the man accused of kidnapping the pair from their home.

Mario Arcenio Perez-Perez, 24, of Hiram is charged with two counts of kidnapping, obstruction or hindering a 911 call, simple battery, reckless conduct and terroristic threats, Canton police said Monday.

The incident unfolded Sunday, April 24 when a Canton police officer was dispatched around 4 a.m. to meet with counterpart with Cobb County police at RaceTrac on Bells Ferry Road near Interstate 575. The Cobb officer told the Canton cop he had been dispatched earlier and met with the woman, who said she and her son were "forced into the suspect's vehicle in Canton near her residence," Canton police said.

The officer learned the woman and her son were initially driven by the suspect to QuikTrip near the RaceTrac when she was able to convince the man she had to use the restroom.

Once inside the store, the woman went into the restroom and stayed inside the facility until the store clerk made a welfare check on her.

The victim told the clerk what happened, and the clerk was able to hide the woman and her son behind the store's coolers until a friend was able to retrieve them.

The friend took the pair across the street to the RaceTrac convenience store where they called police. Through interviews and follow-up investigative work, a detective was able to track down Perez-Perez leaving a church in Marietta just after noon on Sunday.

Marietta police conducted a traffic stop, and were able to apprehend the suspect.

"We are extremely grateful the victim and her son were able to elude the suspect in the case and get away from him with the help of a friend and a concerned store clerk," Canton Police Chief Mark Mitchell said. "Our responding officers and investigating detective worked hard in their response, investigation and arrest of this individual, which brought a successful resolution to this criminal act."

From what police can determine, the suspect and victim "were acquaintances" who knew each other from church, Mitchell added.

Perez-Perez remains held at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center with $58,850 bond.

---

Photo: Mario Arcenio Perez-Perez. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff's Office