A man who admitted to police that he planned to rape and “might take the life” of 6-year-girl he snatched at an East Brainerd hardware store last spring pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and attempted rape charges.
Jeremy Mizell, 36, faces 15 to 25 years in prison on the especially aggravated kidnapping charge and eight to 12 years on the charge of attempted rape of a child.
The child’s grandfather, Kenneth Scroggins, chased Mr. Mizell and caught up with him as he was getting in the car with the child.
“He (the grandfather) picked up some landscaping rocks and subdued him. Then he got the little girl away from him,” said Hamilton County Executive Assistant District Attorney Neal Pinkston.
Hamilton County Judge Don Poole told Mr. Mizell during the Monday pleading that he must serve 100 percent of the sentence on the kidnapping charge, which carries the 15- to 25-year range and is deemed especially aggravated because the child was under 13.
He will be sentenced on June 3, the judge said.
Mr. Pinkston said a charge of attempted murder was dismissed.
“In his statement to police he said he took her and meant to rape her, and he ‘might’ have taken her life,” Mr. Pinkston said, noting the primary “intent” was to rape her.
Mr. Mizell’s defense attorney, Brian O’Shaughnessy, declined to comment.
After Mr. Mizell dropped the little girl, he ran away from the Ace Hardware store parking area on East Brainerd Road, Mr. Pinkston said. Authorities caught him later that night. He was living in his car, Mr. Pinkston said.
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