SPD Investigating Kidnapping of six month old child.
Officer Joshua Laiva #1231
Friday, November 17, 2017 at 2:34 p.m.
Update: On Friday, Nov. 17, The suspect, 34 year old Fern T. Littlecalf, was booked into the Spokane County Jail for three counts of Kidnapping 2nd Degree.
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Spokane Police are investigating a kidnapping of a six month old child. The suspect has been detained, and the child has been placed into protective custody. Charges are expected later today.
Today, November 17, before 2:30 a.m., Spokane Police made contact with a male outside the Public Safety Building to assist with two young children who had been left in his custody. The recovered children were with the unrelated male who advised the children had been left with him, and he was awaiting contact with the children’s mother. Responding Spokane Police Officers took the two children ranging from one to two years of age into protective custody with CPS. The Police Officers soon learned a six month old baby was still outstanding. The male advised a female he had met on Facebook had taken the baby with her, and he had been unable to contact her again. The female suspect had created a fraudulent identity on Facebook to set a ruse for the male and mother of the baby to lure them from the Tri-Cities area to Spokane. The female suspect had once met with the mother of the missing child in a related incident, from Spokane, a few over a month ago. Once in Spokane, the female suspect was able to separate the mother from the children and take the three children to the area of the Richard Allen Court Apartments in the 600 block of S. Richard Allen Ct. The male assisted in transporting the children away from their mother which was all part of the suspect’s ruse. The male believed he was taking the children to be with family. The male was operating under a separate ruse which had been perpetrated by the suspect on Facebook. The male provided contact information for the suspect. The mother of the children was later located who also provided information regarding her version of the ruse and possible suspect contact information. The Spokane Police Officers and Spokane Police Department Detectives worked quickly and decisively to conducted their investigation. The suspect was located along with the outstanding baby. The baby was evaluated by medical personnel, and was taken into protective custody. The suspect is in Police custody, and charges are expected later in the day. Once the suspect is booked for her charges, Spokane Police will release her name and date of birth.
Spokane Police would like to highlight the quick thinking and diligent work by the Spokane Police Detectives who utilized all possible resources, to include the FBI, to bring a swift resolution to this case and reunite the baby with her mother.
Spokane Police would also like to remind the public to be cautious of people you meet online through Social Media or Online Dating platforms. Criminals will often use the internet to disguise themselves when carrying out their criminal intentions, and many times one person can use multiple online identities to accomplish this goal. Remember to be cautious about what you share on the internet, and who you share it with.
