It should have been a quick stop. A mother, her two children, a gas station in Marietta, Georgia — and a tank that needed filling. But just after midnight on July 23, what started as a routine errand turned into something no parent should ever have to face.
Jerahn Rashad Tucker, shirtless and barefoot, had pulled into the same station. He watched as the family walked into the convenience store, then came back out. When the mother stepped out to pump gas, Tucker got out of his car and started walking toward hers.
He circled the vehicle slowly, peeking through the windows. One of the children panicked and jumped out of the car. The mother rushed over and placed the child back inside. Tucker didn’t stop. He kept circling, kept looking in. Then the child jumped out again.
At some point, Tucker reached into the back seat and grabbed the child, according to the arrest warrant. The mother, desperate to protect her kids, grabbed the gas pump and raised it toward him — doing whatever she could to keep him away.
Then Tucker made it worse. When customers who had been inside the store came out to help, he turned to them and said he had a gun.
Ali Joof, an employee working that night, saw the whole thing unfold from inside. “I saw a commotion outside like someone was running after a small kid,” he said. “Some of our customers, they went outside and they were trying to calm the situation.” He also mentioned that Tucker was a familiar face — a regular at the station.
Tucker eventually drove off. But police caught up with him and took him into custody. He now faces charges of attempted kidnapping, assault, and possession of a controlled substance — and he’s sitting in jail without bond.
Marietta police are still investigating. Anyone who saw something that night is urged to come forward and contact local authorities.