Accused Kidnapper Pleads Not Guilty

Accused kidnapper Matthew Ryan Cruise, 23, of Muldrow entered a not guilty plea to attempted kidnapping at his initial court appearance Wednesday in Sequoyah County District Court, Sallisaw. His case has been placed on Judge Larry Langley's felony disposition docket at 9 a.m. May 28. Cruise remains in the Sequoyah County Detention Center in Sallisaw where he is being held without bond. Police said Cruise approached four teens, two boys and two girls, as they were walking home from the Muldrow Park on May 4. He approached one of the girls and asked if she smoked. She replied no, then Cruise allegedly grabbed her and tried to get her into a pickup truck in the parking lot of a convenience store. The girl broke away and the teens ran away. Her mother contacted police immediately, which led to the discovery of surveillance videos, which led to the identification of the truck. Police reported the investigation eventually led to Cruise, who was arrested without incident May 16 at his residence in Northdale Estates north of Muldrow. Stay tuned to KXMX for the latest news, or visit www.kxmx.com. By Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director