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Convicted Sex Offender Steals School Bus, Attempts Child Kidnapping

Emery County Sheriff's Office

When landscapers in Emery County saw their coworker walk off from the baseball field where they were laying sod, they were confused and said he was acting strange. Thirty-year-old Patrick James Fredricksen later stole a school bus from the Emery County School District and attempted to kidnap a young girl outside her home.

Lt. Gayle Jensen said he and his officers spent the whole day looking for Fredricksen, who is a convicted sex offender. At 10:37 a.m. a red SUV was reported missing and it was later revealed that Fredricksen had stolen the vehicle. Afterward, he stole a bus with the keys still in the vehicle. More importantly, however, he also found a list of children's names and directions to their homes.

“A short time later, we learned that Mr. Fredricksen had actually pulled the bus into a driveway,” Jensen explained. “A temporary bus driver’s list was there, and so Mr. Fredricksen had tried to get a small child onto the bus. The father had intercepted at that point in time.”

Jensen received a report at 3:38 a.m. of a suspicious person who matched Fredricksen’s description. He was arrested without incident.

“After he was arrested, that’s when we found out how serious the problem could’ve been,” Jensen said. “We’re glad it’s come to an end.”

Emergency Manager Janalee Duke from the Emery County Sheriff’s Office said Fredricksen was supposed to register as a sex offender, but he did not do so. He is now facing two charges of theft of a vehicle, as well as attempted child kidnapping.

No attorney was immediately listed in court records for Fredricksen Wednesday, and his phone number was not listed in public records.