- Kenneth Freeman doesn't look like the kind of guy to have underage kids in his shed. Not at all.
The story behind that headline could be very innocent or even worse than it sounds depending on what police find.
Here's what they know so far:
Cops in Lorain got a tip about missing children and headed to Kenneth Freeman's house recently to investigate.
Freeman didn't exactly act normal when they showed up — the 39-year-old was shirtless, stinking of booze, and shuttered the door.
That's when police meandered back to his shed. Inside they found at least ten teenagers. Two were his children, but five of the other teens, ranging in age from 12 to 17, were reported as missing. Details on the other three were not known.
So just what was Freeman doing with kids in his shed? Police aren't sure. According to NewsNet5:
“Sure, it’s awfully suspicious, but we don’t have any evidence of anything else right now. But certainly it caused us some concern,” answered Carpentiere.Police said when they confronted Freeman, he tried to pull away. He was arrested on charges of resisting arrest and obstructing official business.
Freeman’s family is defending him. His two daughters were among the children in the shed.
“I don’t really think he should be in jail at all. I don’t think so because he did not know they were runaways until the cops came,” said Freeman’s daughter, Alexis, who was in the shed.
“Freeman is a guy with a big heart. In his eyes, he feels bad for these kids and he’s like ‘sure, you can come hang out with my kids,’” said Jordan Simmons, Freeman’s niece who was not in the shed.
But to Lorain police, it all seems very strange.
So, it's entirely possible that Freeman is simply a kind-hearted soul who didn't mind runaways hang around his house and shed. But Lorain police are skeptical, as anyone would be after finding a horde of missing teenagers in a man's shed. That's a healthy skepticism.
Until they figure it out, Freeman is in jail on $9,200 bond.
