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The incident took place in Dutchess County around 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6 in the city of Poughkeepsie.
According to Det. Sgt. George Camacho, of the Poughkeepsie Police, police dispatch received a call from the victim who reported an attempted robbery.
During the course of an investigation, the victim reported to officers that an unknown man had approached her as she was sitting in her parked vehicle with two children (ages 3 and 5 years of age) on Spruce Street.
The man displayed a knife and told the victim that he was getting into the car and to do what he says or he would hurt her babies, Camacho said.
The man entered her vehicle and directed the victim to drive to a store in the city of Poughkeepsie. Upon arriving at the store, the man directed the victim to get money from her bank account while he waited in the vehicle while still displaying the knife, police said.
The victim followed the man’s directions and re-entered the vehicle with the money. At knifepoint, the man directed the victim to drive to a second location. While at this second location, the victim began crying causing the suspect to scream at her, Camacho said.
Pedestrians in the area took notice of the vehicle triggering the suspect to quickly exit the vehicle without taking the money. The man then ran from the scene, he added.
During the course of an investigation, the suspect was identified as Derrick Woodhouse, age 49, of the city of Poughkeepsie who has four violent felony convictions, Camacho said.
On Tuesday, Feb. 7, officers responded to a suspicious person inside 559 Main St. Upon arrival, officers recognized the person as Derrick Woodhouse.
Woodhouse was placed under arrest without incident and transported to the city of Poughkeepsie Police Department.
Woodhouse is currently awaiting arraignment for the following criminal charges:
- Kidnapping
- Attempted robbery
- Endangering the welfare of a child
Anyone with information on this incident or any similar incident is encouraged to contact the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department at 845-451-7577
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