Minn. parents accused of kidnapping their 7-week-old baby from child protective care
01/20/2023 12:34 pm PST
LEXINGTON, Ky. (TCD) -- A Minnesota couple, both 28, were arrested in Kentucky after allegedly kidnapping their 7-week-old infant, who was under child protection.
On Jan. 12, Scott County Child Protection was made aware of a 7-week-old infant who was brought to an emergency room with injuries, the Savage Police Department announced.
The parents, Amanda Wamack and Zachariah Whitehead, were interviewed, and as a result, police said, "Child protection wanted the juvenile placed on a safety hold, in the care of a family member until further tests and interviews could be conducted due to the nature of the injury and age of the infant."
The baby was reportedly placed under the care of the grandmother, but she rescinded her role as the infant’s caregiver because she did not agree with the terms.
On the evening of Jan. 16, Whitehead and Wamack allegedly kidnapped their baby and fled Minnesota.
Police said the parents’ vehicle was "last seen pulling a U-Haul trailer in both St. Paul and then Chicago, during the late hours of January 16, 2023."
Lexington Police officers reportedly located the vehicle on the 300 block of Tangley Way and confirmed that the parents were inside a home. According to police, officers negotiated with the suspects for six hours in an attempt to get the suspects to exit the residence.
After the standoff, the parents were taken into custody and arrested for felony kidnapping, police said.
The infant was reportedly removed from the home and treated as a "precaution" before being placed into protective custody.
In a statement, police said, "We are very thankful for the safety of the infant. We are also very appreciative of our detectives for the long hours that were spent behind the scenes, the assistance of agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the support that we received from the members of the Lexington Kentucky Police Department for a safe outcome."
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