Fresno man accused of kidnapping his baby and child’s mother, pleads no contest to lesser charges

A Fresno man accused of kidnapping his child and the baby’s mother was sentenced Tuesday in Fresno County Superior Court to prison.

In December, James Lynn Anderson pleaded no contest to felony charges of child abuse, domestic violence and false imprisonment, prosecutor Timothy Galstan said.

Anderson, 28, also admitted that he had a prior felony conviction, in 2011, for making criminal threats.

Under a plea agreement, Judge David Gottlieb sentenced Anderson to eight years and four months in prison.

Fresno police say Anderson was arrested Oct. 30, 2013, after he forced his way into a home near Thorne and Dudley avenues near Roeding Park. He then snatched his child and put the baby in his truck, while threatening the baby’s mother, police said. To ensure her child was not hurt, the woman got into the truck as well, Galstan said.

Police caught up with Anderson at a home on Purvis Avenue in Clovis. He tried to run from officers, but was quickly captured, Lt. Joe Gomez said then. Anderson was under the influence of methamphetamine when he took his child, Galstan said.

Anderson was charged with child abuse because he handled his baby in a rough manner during the ordeal, police said. He initially was charged with kidnapping, but that charge was dismissed, court records show.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Fresno man accused of kidnapping his baby and child’s mother, pleads no contest to lesser charges."