A 20-year-old Marine was arrested after investigators said a 12-year-old girl escaped, photographed the suspect and helped authorities identify him.
SILVERDALE, WA — An active-duty U.S. Marine was arrested after a 12-year-old girl reported that a man grabbed her while she was walking home from school and tried to make her go with him, according to authorities and court records.
Timothy Caldwell, 20, was arrested Nov. 4 at a Silverdale apartment complex, two days after the reported encounter near Ridgetop Boulevard Northwest and Northwest Ambercrest Way. Authorities have identified Caldwell as an active-duty Marine based at Naval Base Kitsap. He faces allegations of attempted second-degree kidnapping and assault and was being held in the Kitsap County Jail on $350,000 bail, according to multiple local reports.
The girl told investigators that she had gotten off a school bus and was walking home Nov. 2 when she noticed a man who appeared to be using his phone to record her. According to court records cited by local news organizations, the man approached her and asked for directions to a nearby gas station. Investigators later noted that the location was less than a half-mile from Caldwell’s home.
The girl reported that the man followed her, grabbed her around the shoulder or backpack area and put another hand against her back. She told deputies that he said words indicating she was supposed to go with him. The girl resisted, punched him in the shoulder and broke free, according to the accounts. She then ran away and photographed the man as she escaped.
The girl’s family contacted law enforcement after the encounter. Her father later posted the photograph online while seeking information about the man’s identity. An online tip eventually directed the family and investigators toward a Silverdale apartment complex, according to court documents and local reporting.
Deputies went to the apartment complex Nov. 4 and contacted Caldwell. Investigators said his appearance was consistent with the person shown in the photograph the girl had taken. Court records cited by news outlets said that when deputies asked whether he knew why they were there, Caldwell referred to the Facebook post before asking for an attorney. He was then taken into custody.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said investigators determined that Caldwell was an active-duty Marine. Because of his military status, information from the investigation was also forwarded to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. A Marine Corps statement provided to KIRO 7 said the service was aware of Caldwell’s arrest, was cooperating with investigators and said the alleged conduct did not align with Marine Corps values.
The girl’s father told KIRO 7 that his daughter was physically unharmed but was still processing the encounter. He also said he wants investigators to determine why the man allegedly approached her. Authorities have not publicly established a motive, and no motive should be inferred from the allegations currently available.
Caldwell’s charges remain allegations, and the available reports did not establish that he had entered a plea. The investigation remains active, with local authorities and military investigators involved. No additional findings about a motive or the circumstances surrounding the alleged encounter had been publicly confirmed as of the latest reports.
Author note: Last updated November 8, 2026.