A 31-year-old Burien man is facing a felony charge of attempted kidnapping after allegedly trying to abduct a toddler from a vehicle at Lake Burien School Memorial Park on May 6.
As we previously reported, the incident occurred at the park at around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
Nicholas Joseph Lewis-Ryder, 31, was charged by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with attempted kidnapping in the second degree after Burien Police/King County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a disturbance involving a man trying to grab children and force entry into a car.
Charging documents state Lewis-Ryder repeatedly claimed he was “with an agency” and told the child’s grandparents, “I’m taking your kid.”
According to charging documents, Lewis-Ryder first approached children at the playground and attempted to touch them. After being confronted and rebuffed by adults, he followed the child’s grandparents to their car and tried to unlock the doors to remove the 1½-year-old boy from inside.
“He was very forceful in trying to take [the child] out of her arms,” the child’s grandmother told authorities.
The child was unharmed, and the suspect fled the scene before being apprehended nearby after a brief foot pursuit.
Prosecutors noted in their filing that Lewis-Ryder was undergoing a mental health crisis and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features and schizophrenia. His wife confirmed to deputies that he had been experiencing a worsening mental health episode for about a month.
Authorities noted that the suspect’s significant mental health issues are being taken into consideration as the case proceeds through the legal system.
Lewis-Ryder did not attend his first court appearance due to what jail staff deemed “inappropriate” behavior. The prosecutor’s office has requested $150,000 bail and electronic home detention if released, along with conditions including no contact with minors, continued mental health treatment, and a ban from returning to that park.
“There is reasonable cause to believe that the defendant will not appear in response to a summons and will commit a violent offense,” prosecutors wrote in a request to the court.
The defendant’s next court date is his arraignment, where an initial plea is entered. That’s scheduled for May 21 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Defendants are innocent until proven guilty in court.
