Jordan
A Franklin man is being held at a Florida jail on kidnapping and battery charges after deputies say he planned and carried out the abduction of two pre-school age children.
Derek R. Jordan, 39, is charged with two counts of kidnapping a minor under 13, aggravated battery on a person over 65 and burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery. Deputies with the Flagler County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office say Jordan allegedly admitted to planning and traveling there in order to abduct two children, who he does not have custody of.
Deputies were first made aware of the abductions, which involved a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old, around 2 p.m. on July 14. When they arrived at a home in Palm Coast, Florida, the person who made the report told them the man had barged inside, pushed a family member to the ground and forcefully grabbed the kids before driving off in a grey Toyota Sienna with an Indiana license plate, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses told deputies they tried to stop Jordan, but he took off from the driveway and ran over a family member’s big toe before fleeing the scene, according to an unofficial charging affidavit filed in a Flagler County court.
Deputies began searching the area for Jordan and his van as other investigators worked on displaying an Amber Alert. With the assistance of the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol, the van was quickly found on Interstate 10 West, deputies said.
Law enforcement pulled over the minivan around 3:45 p.m. — about an hour and 45 minutes after the abductions were first reported. The children were brought to safety and Jordan was arrested, deputies said.
In an update on July 15, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Jordan allegedly admitted to planning the abduction before traveling to Florida to carry it out. The children were also reunited with their custodial parent.
Unofficial court documents filed in Flagler County say he had also previously threatened to shoot the children and their mother in March, leading them to move to Florida from Indiana. Prior to the abductions, Jordan asked if he could have the children for a weekend.
However, their mother denied this, telling deputies she did this because Jordan allegedly has a history of mental illness and drug use. She also cited a pending domestic battery case filed against him in Indiana, documents say.
After the mother denied him access to the children, Jordan reportedly sent her a text on July 13 — the day before the abductions — saying that she would never see the children again if she did not get treatment for “narcissistic” behavior, court documents show.
Online court records show Jordan was charged locally in March with battery against a public safety official and battery on a person younger than 14, both Level 6 felonies, along with domestic battery and resisting law enforcement, both misdemeanors. The still-pending charges were filed in Johnson County Superior Court 3.
During a March 11 incident, Jordan was acting “erratic” and allegedly struck a Franklin Police officer while they were trying to detain him. Once detained, Jordan reportedly asked officers to shoot him and his children, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The 911 caller, who was a woman, told police Jordan had taken drugs, something he reportedly later confirmed. When asked which ones, he said “all of them,” the affidavit says.
Police also said Jordan had an altercation with a 9-year-old in the home, pushing the child down onto a toy chest. The woman also said Jordan had pulled her hair during a verbal argument.
Jail booking photos from both the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office confirm it is the same Jordan in each case. The date of birth listed and physical description also confirm it’s the same man.
In the Johnson County case, Jordan’s address is listed as Franklin. Flagler County police and court records have his address listed as New Albany and Shelbyville. The Shelbyville address belongs to a chiropractor’s office, where Jordan is listed as an employee. The office didn’t return a request for employment status.
Jordan is currently held at the Flagler County jail in Florida on a $65,000 bond.
