Sex crime against a 6-year-old boy in a McDonald’s bathroom in Jacksonville Thursday evening.

Police arrested Keith Andre Sykes, a homeless man, Friday in connection to a sex crime against a 6-year-old boy in a McDonald’s bathroom in Jacksonville Thursday evening.

The incident occurred at the McDonald’s at 3143 Emerson St. about 5:30 p.m. when a family of four stopped and the two sons went to the bathroom together, Chief Tom Hackney said.

The 7-year-old boy came out of the bathroom without his 6-year-old brother and their father went in
to look for his son, Hackney said.

A man exited a stall as the father went into the bathroom and when the father looked into the stall he found his son pulling up his pants, Hackney said.

The father, who quickly realized the man could have done something to his son in the stall, left the restaurant to chase after him, Hackney said.

A chase ensued as the man fled on foot with the father driving east on Emerson past Interstate 95, but he lost track of the man near Spring Park Road, Hackney said.

He said detectives conducted interviews and looked over medical reports on the boy Friday and determined a crime was committed in the bathroom.

“We indeed did have some type of sex crime,” Hackney said.

A witness alerted authorities Friday about 4 p.m. and told them the suspect was still in the area near the McDonald’s, Director Mike Bruno said late Friday.

Officers found a man in a dumpster in the 3800 block of Emerson shortly after receiving the tip and arrested him on a possession of marijuana charge, Bruno said.

He said the man was taken in for questioning and multiple witnesses identified him as the suspect after police set up a photo spread.

The man was then charged with capital sexual battery and booked into the jail, Bruno said.

Police have not identified the man but said he is not suspected in other recent sex crimes.

Hackney said the family at the McDonald’s lives in the area and it does not appear the 7-year-old brother had any interaction with the man in the bathroom.

“You never know what’s on the other side of a bathroom door,” Hackney said as he warned parents to keep a close eye on their children.

School starts in Duval County Monday and Hackney said there will be an increased police presence at schools and near bus stops throughout Jacksonville.

He encouraged parents to talk to their children about the dangers of interacting with strangers.