Family kidnaps ‘too nice’ child at gunpoint to teach ‘stranger danger’

The mother, aunt, and grandmother of a 6-year-old Missouri boy who the family considered “too nice” conspired to have him kidnapped at gunpoint and terrorized after school in order to “scare” him about “stranger danger,” they told authorities.

On Feb. 2, the boy was kidnapped by Nathan Wynn Firoved, 23, who worked at a gas station with the boy’s aunt, Denise Kroutil, 38. Kroutil, according to the Lincoln County (Mo.) Sheriff’s Department, had approached Firoved about kidnapping her nephew to “scare” him, as he was “too nice” to strangers.

The boy’s mother, Elizabeth Hupp, 25, and his grandmother, Rose Brewer, 58, agreed the kidnapping plot would help the victim learn a lesson about trust. Neither Hupp nor Brewer knew Firoved’s last name, according to authorities.

Firoved waited for the boy to leave his school bus, luring him into his pickup truck. Once the boy entered the truck, Firoved threatened the boy, saying he would never “see his mommy again,” and that he would be “nailed to the wall of a shed.”

Firoved presented his handgun when the boy would not stop crying. The boy’s hands and feet were eventually bound with plastic bags, and his face was covered with a jacket as Firoved drove around for an unspecified amount of time.

While parents continue to warn their children of "stranger danger" most crimes are performed by people we know http://t.co/WBPNUVj6Wr

— Inner Conflicts (@InnerConflicts) February 6, 2015

The boy was taken to the basement of his residence. While there, Kroutil removed his pants and said he could be sold into “sex slavery.” The aunt was reportedly angry when the boy did not try to resist her.

Firoved reportedly kept in touch with the family during the entire four-hour period the boy was held and terrorized.

The boy was eventually freed and told to go upstairs so his family could teach him about “stranger danger.” The family told authorities they did nothing wrong, and that their purpose was to teach the boy a life lesson.

The boy later divulged the plot to officials at his school, who in turn notified the Missouri Division of Family Services. The boy is now in protective custody.

Firoved, Brewer, and Kroutil -- all of Troy, Mo. -- have been charged with felony kidnapping, felonious restraint, and felony abuse and neglect of a child. They are currently being held in the Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 bond.

Hupp, also of Troy, was charged with felony kidnapping and felony abuse and neglect of a child. She is also being held in the Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 cash-only bond.

The investigation is ongoing, according to authorities.