Son apologizes for father charged in attempted kidnapping

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — Ernest Rose, 63, faced a judge Wednesday. He is charged with trying to abduct a 12-year-old girl from her Lincoln County bus stop Tuesday morning.

Police said the girl ran from Rose to a neighbor's home to safety and called 911.

The school district made changes and students will no longer have to wait at bus stops. The bus will now pick them up and drop them off at their homes.

Rose's son said he let his homeless father stay with him for a couple days. Now, the son said his father is not welcome back.

There were no family members present when Rose made his first appearance.

Investigators said he told them he wanted sex.

Rose's son, who did not want to be identified, had a message for the girl's family.

"To apologize to the family for what my dad did and to let them know that it was wrong and if I had and inclination that this would have happened I would have never brought him here," the son said.

He said he wasn't home when the incident happened.

"If I would have come in and seen something like that happening, the police wouldn't have had to get him, I would have," the son said.

The girl ran to Danizza Mashburn's home for help.

Mashburn said she called 911 and went outside to help other children quickly get on the school bus when she came face to face with Rose.

"He was 2 feet in front of me and said, 'How are you doing, ma'am?"" Mashburn said.

She said she was stunned to see him continue down the street toward another girl waiting on the school bus.

She told the bus driver to get the girl and directed police to get Rose.

"I was glad that I was able to help police get him off the streets," Mashburn said.

Rose's son believes Rose never intended to harm the girls and prefers to see his father in jail rather than on the streets.

"It was wrong," the son said. "I mean, it shouldn't have ever happened."

WSOC