Press Release from Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office
Peter Louis Cahoon, 33, was convicted of Attempted Second Degree Kidnapping and Battery Upon Officer. The Attempted Kidnapping charge stemmed from an incident on May 21, 2024, where Cahoon attempted to kidnap a 6-year-old girl as she sat in a vehicle with her father.
As the father and daughter were sitting in a parking lot, Cahoon walked up to the passenger side of the vehicle and asked for the child’s name and date of birth. Cahoon then attempted to entice the child away from her father before quickly reaching through the open window and grabbing the child’s arm. As the father held onto his daughter, Cahoon grabbed the father’s wrist and began to pull on it while attempting to open the child’s passenger door. The father put the vehicle in reverse, in an effort to shake Cahoon off of the vehicle and away from the child.
However, Cahoon jumped onto the hood of the vehicle and only fell off after the father sped up. Unfortunately, Cahoon landed on the driver’s side of the vehicle and was able to open the father’s door. The father was able to drive the vehicle forward and speed away, causing Cahoon to finally let go of the vehicle. Cahoon fled the scene on foot but was quickly located and apprehended by officers.
The Battery Upon Officer charge stemmed from an incident on June 26, 2024, where Cahoon spit in the eyes of a detention deputy. While in jail, Cahoon exhibited violent and self-destructive behavior. In an effort to ensure his safety, detention staff placed Cahoon in a restraint chair. However, Cahoon resisted these efforts and spit in the eyes of a detention deputy as he was being restrained in the chair.
Attempted Second Degree Kidnapping is a felony, punishable by up to 12 ½ years in prison. Battery Upon Officer is a felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Cahoon was sentenced on December 31, 2024.
Prior to Cahoon’s guilty pleas, he spent time at the State Hospital-North in Orofino, Idaho. Prior to sentencing, it was determined that Cahoon met the criteria for participation in Kootenai County’s Mental Health Specialty Court. According to the Idaho Supreme Court’s website, mental health courts in Idaho allow mentally ill offenders to be closely supervised and monitored, and their treatment overseen, in the community as “an innovative alternative to incarceration.” An offender can only participate in Mental Health Court if they are granted probation.
Arguing against probation and participation in Mental Health Court, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Art Verharen recommended that Cahoon go to prison on a unified 15-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years for his charges.
District Judge Ross Pittman sentenced Cahoon to a unified 15-year prison sentence but suspended the sentence and placed Cahoon on probation for 10 years. Part of Cahoon’s probation includes a condition that he participate in Kootenai County’s Mental Health Specially Court.
Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Art Verharen for prosecuting the case and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for investigating the case. Particularly, Stanley T. Mortensen expresses appreciation for the bravery of the child and her father for not giving up in their fight against Cahoon and in reporting the crime.
