Man accused of attempted kidnapping, exposure at Walmart

A woman told police she found the man standing in the aisle with his hand down his pants.
WSMV4's Danielle Ledbetter reports.
Published: Apr. 24, 2023 at 5:30 AM CDT|Updated: Apr. 25, 2023 at 10:48 AM CDT
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Metro Nashville Police arrested a man on Sunday after he allegedly tried to take a child and then was found masturbating in the aisle of a Walmart south of Nashville.

According to the arrest report, the manager of the Walmart at 5824 Nolensville Pike alerted officers to reports of an attempted kidnapping in progress. The officer spoke with Sandra Hernandez, who said a man lunged at her 1-year-old and later found him standing next to the dolls in the aisle with his hand in his pants. Hernandez believed the man was masturbating.

”I was in shock,” Hernandez said. “I was still in disbelief like I see this daily on Facebook, on the news but I never thought it would happen to me.”

Officers searched the store and found the man, 30-year-old Jairo Castro Lara, in the shoe aisle and he was identified by the victims. Video surveillance was not available for the aisle where the alleged incidents happened, but did place Castro Lara in the area at the time in question, according to the report.

Castro Lara was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping and two counts of indecent exposure to a minor. He remains in custody on a $257,000 bond.