Woman Charged With Kidnapping Lawn Boys

[matcom]

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MARTINSBURG, W.Va. --A woman faces two counts of kidnapping after allegedly paying two boys for a lawn job with a fake $50 bill, then holding them hostage when they caught on.

Tracy Lynn Clinton, 39, remained in the Eastern Regional Jail on Wednesday, where she has been held on $12,500 bail since her arrest Monday. Police say she has no known address.

Martinsburg Patrolman E.C. Neely said Wednesday the victims were two slightly built boys, ages 12 and 13, who told investigators they were terrorized by Clinton. She allegedly screamed at them, threatened physical violence and exhibited bizarre behavior that included publicly urinating on a fence.

The boys told police they had been cutting lawns around Martinsburg when they saw Clinton sitting on a porch. She offered to pay $30 but said she needed change for what turned out to be a fake $50 bill.

The boys did the job, but questioned the currency. Clinton allegedly talked them into going with her to another location, then made them wait for more than an hour and threatened to harm them if they tried to leave.

Neely said Clinton punched one child in the back when he finally ran away, but neither boy was seriously injured.

If convicted, Clinton could get life in prison on the kidnapping charges and as much as a year in prison on the counterfeit bill charge.

She also faces two counts of failing to appear in court for unrelated incidents.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/08/17/woman_charged_with_kidnapping_lawn_boys?mode=PF