On Saturday, April 30, 2022 at about 1:30 p.m., Des Moines Police Officers were dispatched to a missing two-year-old female in the 1100 block of S. 216 Street (map below), who was later found with the help of Kent Police.
Police say that while officers were searching and calling in additional resources to help locate the child, several citizens called 911. These callers told Kent Police that an adult female was with a small child near the Kent Sounder Station while apparently using drugs and acting strangely. Responding units located the woman and the child who was still in her custody at a bus stop just west of 4th Ave N. on James Street.
Police contacted the female and child just before 3 p.m. as they attempted to leave the area on a Metro Bus.
Through investigation, Kent Officers learned that Des Moines Police had responded to a report of a missing child that matched the one they had located. The father of the two-year-old girl reported he awoke to discover his daughter was missing and a female acquittance, who had been at his residence the night prior, was also gone. It was presumed at that time that the same female had left with the little girl.
Des Moines Police put out a “Be On the Lookout Notice” (BOLO) to all surrounding agencies as well as a recent photo of the child.
The woman initially told police that the child was hers. Kent Officers verified the child matched the BOLO photo and took the female into custody on probable cause for Kidnapping.
Des Moines Police responded and took custody of the suspect. The little girl appeared unharmed but was transported to a local hospital as a precaution.
Des Moines Police Chief Ken Thomas sends his personal “thank you to the alert citizens who called 911 as well as the Metro Bus Driver who refused to drive away until police arrived.
“We also appreciate the help from Kent Police Officers who recognized this call may be related to our missing child case,” Thomas added.
“We want to thank the community members who called 911 and alerted us to what could have been a tragic incident,” Kent police said.