Gas station surveillance video documented the rapid intervention before police tracked down and arrested a 30-year-old suspect.
MARIETTA, Ga. — A mother used a fuel-pump hose to keep a stranger away from her children as customers rushed from a convenience store to help during an alleged kidnapping attempt at a Marietta gas station, police said.
The confrontation unfolded shortly after midnight July 23 at a Shell station on Delk Road. Surveillance footage showed the mother repeatedly positioning herself between the man and her children before other customers noticed the disturbance and joined the effort to protect the family.
The video showed the mother arriving with two children, taking them into the store and later returning to the family’s vehicle. A shirtless and barefoot man arrived separately and entered the store. After the family came back outside, the mother began pumping gas while the children remained in the vehicle.
The man, later identified by police as 30-year-old Jerahn Rashad Tucker, approached the car and looked through its windows, according to the footage and police accounts. One child got out and moved around the vehicle as Tucker appeared to follow. The mother guided the child back into the car while continuing to place herself in Tucker’s path.
When the child emerged again, the mother raised the gas nozzle and hose in Tucker’s direction. The footage did not show her striking him. Her actions appeared to create space for the child to return to the vehicle while she continued guarding the doors.
Customers inside the station then came outside after noticing the commotion. Video showed two people dropping their bags and approaching the car. Police credited the mother and witnesses with remaining calm, pushing Tucker away from the children and contacting authorities.
An arrest warrant said Tucker grabbed one child who was seated in the back of the car and told people at the station that he had a gun. Available reports did not say officers found a firearm. No injuries to the mother, children or bystanders were reported.
Tucker eventually returned to his vehicle and left the station. Marietta police said Cobb County officers helped locate him soon afterward. Police have not released a suspected motive or explained whether Tucker made additional statements following his arrest.
Authorities said Tucker had no known relationship with the mother or children. Station employees recognized him as a frequent customer, according to local reports, but that history did not establish why he allegedly approached the family.
Local reports citing arrest and jail records said Tucker faced charges that included attempted kidnapping and assault. A controlled-substance charge was also listed after officers reportedly found a THC vaping device in his vehicle. Tucker is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Tucker was being held without bond in the Cobb County Jail as of Wednesday. The family’s identities were withheld, and police had announced no additional arrests in the case.
Author note: Last updated July 29, 2026.