75-year-old man charged with abduction attempt

7/1/2005

A 75-year-old Lake Township man was arrested Wednesday after he was accused of trying to abduct an 18-year-old woman from the 4400 block of Woodville Road in Northwood on June 19, police said.

Ralph Pierce, of 4149 Waltham Rd., who was charged with attempted abduction, was arrested without incident at his home, police said.

Mr. Pierce was being held last night in the Wood County Justice Center, Bowling Green, in lieu of a $20,000 bond.

He is to be arraigned Thursday in Perrysburg Municipal Court.

Police said the woman was standing in a driveway on Rood Street about 6 p.m. when she was summoned by Mr. Pierce, who was in a pickup truck parked in the parking lot of the Salvation Army Store at 4405 Woodville.

The woman told police she thought Mr. Pierce needed help.

But when she approached his vehicle, he asked her to go with him. When she refused, he grabbed her arm and tried to force her into his vehicle.

She was able to break away and flee, police said.