FOILED, SOILED

Woman Fends Off Dog Trail Kidnapper With Pup’s Poop, Police Say

James Ward allegedly approached the woman on the dog trail asking for water, grabbed her arm, punched her multiple times, and tried to drag her into the woods.

A man who allegedly tried to kidnap a woman on a Tennessee dog trail found his efforts thwarted when the victim smeared his face with her dog’s poop, authorities said. Michael James Ward, age 47, has been arrested and charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping. A man recognized Ward in a Knoxville convenience store from police notices about the alleged attack online. Ward allegedly approached the woman on the dog trail asking for water, grabbed her arm, punched her multiple times, and tried to drag her into the woods. The woman was carrying a bag of her dog’s poop, which she smeared on Ward’s face. Ward wasn’t done, though, police said—he came back to the victim, knife in hand, and stole her cell phone as she tried to call 911, at which point she ran away.