Man in downtown Wilmington attempted kidnapping case pleads guilty
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wrightsville Beach man charged in the attempted kidnapping of a 7-year-old girl in downtown Wilmington has pleaded guilty.
According to court documents, Daniel Jason Summers, 44, pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. He was sentenced to 23 to 40 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended, and he was placed on supervised probation for 48 months.
As part of the plea agreement, several charges were dismissed, including second-degree kidnapping, assault on a child under 12, and resisting a public officer.
The court also ordered Summers to complete mental health and substance abuse evaluations and participate in any counseling, treatment or education programs recommended as a result of those assessments. He must also undergo frequent drug screenings.
The charges stem from an incident reported in downtown Wilmington.
According to the Wilmington Police Department, officers responded on January 4th to North Front Street after a report of a man restraining another person.
When officers arrived, they found Summers being held on the ground by another man.
Police said Summers had grabbed a 7-year-old girl, forced her to the ground and refused to let go. The child’s father attempted to pull Summers off his daughter, and another nearby man stepped in to help.
