JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man accused of jumping into a car with a 10-year-old boy inside left running at a gas pump last month pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of kidnapping, car theft and petty theft.
Detectives said James Meyer, 28, drove the stolen car to a apartment complex on Beach Boulevard about 2 miles away and let the boy go. Officers arrested him early the next morning, saying he was caught breaking into a home.
Lea Demetrulias, who is the grandmother of Meyer's three children and considers him her son, said the public is only seeing one side of him.
Demetrulias said she first learned of Meyer's arrest when his daughters saw him on television.
"My granddaughters, James' daughters, seen it," Demetrulias said. "They were just in here and they were like, 'Maw maw, daddy's on TV.'"
Demetrulias admitted that Meyer had problems, but he tried and couldn't get the help he needed
"He's just he's just not like that," she said. "He's about family; He's about protecting kids."
James and Demetrulias' daughter have three kids together, and Demetrulias said while he has struggled with drug and alcohol issues for years, he came back in town to get help.
"He just said 'I just can't do this life anymore, you know. I just don't want this kind of life anymore.' And I said, 'Well, you're still young enough, you can change it, you know. You can do whatever you want to do. (You) just have to want to do it.'"
Demetrulias said Meyer went to Gateway Community Services, but didn't get the long-term care she said he needed.
Karen Tozzi, of Gateway, said the assessment takes into account level of addiction, and what drugs a person is addicted to, among many other factors to decide who gets what kind of treatment.
"We're not going to turn people away who need treatment," said Tozzi. "We may not give them the level of treatment that they think they need, but the level of treatment that will be provided will be based on an assessment."
Tozzi said from there, a person receives intervention, outpatient or residential treatment.
Demetrulias believes if Meyer received more help, his situation would be totally different.
"If you people are seriously wanting to become productive citizens and get clean and get well they should get helped," said Demetrulias.
Meyer, who remains in jail on $45,000 bond, will be back in court on March 24.
Demetrulias said Meyer was distraught and upset when he was first arrested, saying he didn't remember what happened. She said he's now turning to prayer.