FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9 has obtained new details about the Flagler County kidnapping case - the suspect lured the child to a campsite and tortured him for days.
The sheriff’s office reported that the child was tied up, drugged and provided alcohol by Hariston. Authorities stated that during a traffic stop, deputies found Hariston with the kidnapped child and another 15-year-old juvenile.
A neighbor alerted law enforcement after observing Hariston with the children.
The sheriff’s office told Channel 9 the child thought he was going to die.
Hariston attempted to flee from deputies and even tried to take one of their firearms during the encounter. The 15-year-old juvenile, who was in the truck with Hariston, jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off, nearly hitting a deputy in the process.
Hariston now faces multiple charges, including kidnapping a minor under age 13 while armed with a deadly weapon, aggravated child abuse, battery by strangulation, and robbery with a deadly weapon.
Investigators are working to determine the relationship between Hariston and the 15-year-old juvenile. It remains unclear whether the teenage accomplice offered any assistance in luring the 11-year-old boy to the campsite.
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