MARIETTA, Ga. — A man is being held without bond in Cobb County after police say he tried to kidnap a strangers child at a gas station, while repeatedly claiming he had a firearm.
The man who has been identified as Jerahn Rashad Tucker, now faces charges of attempted kidnapping, simple assault, and possession of a THC vape.
The incident reportedly unfolded during the early morning hours July 23, 2026, at a Shell station in the 2600 block of Delk Road, as per 11 Alive News.
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| Jerahn Rashad Tucker |
According to police reports, Tucker approached a silver 2013 Nissan Sentra sometime between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. while the driver, Chastity Woodward, was at the pump and her two children were sitting in the back seat.
Tucker opened the rear door on the driver’s side and tried to pull one of the juveniles from the vehicle, telling Woodward over and over that he had a gun.
He also threatened the family, and attempted to get into the car himself when he couldn't take the kid, and chased Woodward as she kept herself between the man and her children.
That is when Woodward lifts the gas pump nozzle and holds it like a weapon, using it to keep distance between Tucker and her daughters.
At this point, several customers also stepped out of the store and walked toward the disturbance, helping to calm things down until Tucker got into a black 2012 Cadillac and drove away.
Police later located Tucker and attempted a traffic stop, but he fled, but officers eventually took him into custody.
While no gun was recovered, an inventory search of the Cadillac turned up a THC vape, leading to the additional possession charge.
“This mother had choices, and in that moment she defaulted to her own just basic instinct of I have to protect my children, grabbing even just the gas pump and attempting to swing it almost like it was a baseball bat, doing whatever she had to to keep herself in between the suspect who was acting deranged and her own children,” said Marietta Police Public Information Officer Chuck McPhilamy.
According to Atlanta News First, surveillance video taken from the station’s security system shows the family walking into the convenience store earlier, while a shirtless and barefoot Tucker entered behind them.
After they came back out and Woodward began fueling the car, Tucker is then seen circling the Sentra and looking through the windows, before terrorizing the family.
“I saw a commotion outside like someone was running after a small kid,” said Ali Joof, an employee at the station. “Then eventually I saw the police. Some of our customers they went outside and they were trying to calm the situation.”
Joof added that Tucker was not an unfamiliar face. “He’s a regular customer here though. He comes here almost every day,” he said.
Tucker remains at the Cobb County jail without bond as he waits for his day in court.
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