Violent kidnapping attempt of a child sends Iowa man to federal prison

SIOUX CITY – A man who attempted to kidnap a child was sentenced to more than14 years in federal prison.

Michael Marshall-Limoges, age 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of kidnapping.

Evidence at the detention, suppression, change of plea, and sentencing hearings established on March 22, 2019, E.N. (age 14) and her brother E.L. (age 9) walked to the Kum & Go, on Morningside Avenue in Sioux City, Iowa. At some point, before they arrived at the gas station, defendant saw them. Once the children entered the store, defendant repositioned his car, entered the store, and continued to observe the children. When the children left the store, defendant followed them, twice made supposedly innocent contact with them, and then attacked them.

As part of his attack, defendant blocked the children’s path with his car. He then threatened E.N. saying “If you don’t get in my car, I’m going to hurt your brother/or I am going to run your brother over.” Next, defendant grabbed a fistful of E.N.’s hair, overcame her physical resistance, ignored her screams, pushed her into his car, and trapped her inside of the car by closing the passenger side door. E.N. noticed the open driver’s side door and escaped through it. During her escape defendant again tried to grab her but she struggled to safety.

Meanwhile, E.L., who had managed to escape yelling, “they took my sister,” found help in the person of J.N. J.N., hearing the screams, ran down the alley toward the boy and the still ongoing kidnapping. J.N. saw defendant enter his vehicle, rapidly accelerate, and drive at a high rate of speed directly at the boy. Fearing defendant was going to run the boy down, he shoved the boy out of the way; J.N. then stood in the alley himself trying to stop the oncoming vehicle. Defendant did not stop. Defendant drove his car directly at J.N. J.N. jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by the car. J.N. called 911 and shepherded the children to safety.

Ultimately, defendant told law enforcement that had E.N. not escaped him “things would have been a lot worse for me” because “who knows what I would have done next.”

Marshall-Limoges was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Marshall-Limoges was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Marshall-Limoges is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, and prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.