PLYMOUTH, Mass. — A Plymouth man is behind bars after allegedly attempting to kidnap two teenage girls, according to police.
Neighbors who came to the girls' rescue said the man was behaving erratically, saying he was pacing and screaming and overall not making much sense.
"What we witnessed on Friday was just not a normal thing," said Mark Paulding. "That was really, really bizarre."
Paulding was at his Plymouth home on Friday afternoon when his 18-year-old neighbor came running for help.
"She came in looking for me all upset," said Paulding. "When she got here, we both turned around and he was walking right in front of the road."
The man Paulding is referring to is 42-year-old Jeffery Lennon, the girl's next-door neighbor. Lennon was allegedly pacing around and yelling.
The 18-year-old said Lennon grabber her by the arm and tried pulling her into the woods before grabbing another, this time 13-year-old, neighbor and telling her, "You know what I'm going to do to her."
Paulding and a nearby retired police officer kept Lennon away from the girls until police arrived.
"He tried to get up to the house twice, and we got between him and the house and we just told her, 'Lock the door,'" said Paulding. "He ran up and attacked one of the cruisers, started pounding on the hood. It took five [police officers] to get them down on the ground. I thought they were going to shoot him. It was a scary little situation for a few minutes."
On Monday, Lennon pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included attempted kidnapping. His lawyer claims his client suffers from PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. Lennon denies ever touching any of the girls.
"He was in the United States Army," said Richard McLeod, Lennon's attorney. "He served two tours of duty. Three deployments [and was] honorably discharged."
McLeod added Lennon was just saying hello to his neighbors, saying that was "as close as he came to touching them".
Held for a mental health evaluation on Monday and booked into the Plymouth House of Correction, Lennon is being held on $20,000 bail.
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