The man charged in the case, Tyrone Hill, 37, appeared in court Sunday afternoon and was charged with attempted aggravated kidnapping of a child under the age of 13 and unlawful restraint. He's now being held without bond in the hospital at Cook County Jail.
According to his public defender, Hill suffers from mental illness. Back in 1997, Tyrone Hill was convicted of two counts aggravated sexual assault on a 7-year-old child. He was currently on probation for failing to register in 2010.
It was around 11 a.m. Saturday when police say Hill reportedly approached 2-year-old Isaiah Uvalle, who was only yards away from his mom and dad at the crowded beach.
"You have to keep your eyes on your kid. My kid was behind me and he just grabbed him behind me. I was behind him, and that was scary, because he was right there next to me," said Isaiah's father Armando Uvalle.
"I was thinking, you know, 'What is he doing?' first of all and my heart stopped. But like I said, Armando was there, so he right away took action," said Isaiah's mother Jasmine Escobedo.
"I was in the park playing with my nephews and my kids, and out of nowhere, I just turned around and he grabbed my kid and I snatched him back,'" Uvalle said."I said, 'Get away from my kid, get away from my kid.'"
Isaiah was safe, but Hill allegedly fled on foot. Police say the boy's father flagged down a bike officer on the beach. A "flash message," which is a description of the offender, was sent to other officers, and Hill was arrested about 150 yards from where the alleged attempted abduction occurred.
"They did a very good job. The three, four officers, they were good," Uvalle said.
At North Avenue Beach on Sunday, there were increased police officers patrolling the area, where they say, they will remain for the duration of the holiday weekend. Their presence brings peace of mind to some parents spending the day with their children.
"You never know who is going to be around. It's unfortunate, but that's the way the world is," said North Avenue Beachgoer Angela Georges.
"I make sure they stay close to where we are and make sure that I'm watching them at all times," said North Avenue Beachgoer Mike Salisbury.
Isaiah's parents said they will be at Hill's next court date on July 11 and hope to follow this case through till the end.
