US -- ENABLED US TO RETRIEVE
THIS THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILD IN THE
BACKSEAT OF THIS VEHICLE.
I WANT TO COMMEND THESE AGENCIES
FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND, FROM
THE MOMENT THEY RECEIVED THE
CALL.
THEY WENT INTO ACTION.
THEY GOT INTO CONTACT WITH ONE
ANOTHER.
IT WAS A PURE SENSE OF TEAM AND
SHIP.
NOT GETTING CAUGHT UP IN
BUREAUCRACY AND RED TAPE, BUT
FOCUSING ON THE FINDING OF THIS
CHILD.
WITHIN A FEW HOURS, WITH THE
HELP OF THESE FOLKS, THIS CHILD
WAS FOUND, AND SO TODAY, I WANT
TO APPRECIATE THE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO WEAR THE UNIFORM AND ALL OF
THOSE AGENCIES.
NUMBER TO THAT, I WANT TO LET IT
BE KNOWN THE WYANDOTTE COUNTY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS
FORMALLY CHARGED TWO WITH COUNT
ONE KIDNAPPING, WHICH IS
SEVERITY LEVEL THREE, COUNT TWO,
AGGRAVATED ENDANGERMENT OF A
CHILD, WHICH IS SEVERITY LEVEL
NINE SONY, AND COUNT THREE IS
THEFT OF A VEHICLE, WHICH IS
LIKEWISE, A SEVERITY LEVEL NINE
FELONY.
WE ARE LOOKING INTO OTHER
CHARGES.
AS MR. CARTER HAS INDICATED,
THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CANNOT
DISCUSS, AS IT IS ONGOING.
THESE ARE THE CHARGES.
THESE ARE THE TWO INDIVIDUALS.
AND MOREOVER, THE CHILD IS SAFE.
I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR
QUESTIONS AFTER THIS STATEMENT.
THE NUMBER ONE FOCUS OF THIS
PRESS CONFERENCE, BEYOND THAT OF
ACKNOWLEDGING OUR LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND THESE CHARGES IS
TO SPEAK TO THE COMMUNITY OF
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.
OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR MOST SACRED
TREASURE.
THEY ARE THE VERY ESSENCE OF OUR
BEING AS PARENTS.
THIS MAN ENTERED INTO A GAS
STATION, LEAVING A CHILD IN A
CAR, AND IT TOOK LESS THAN TWO
MINUTES.
THIS TWO MINUTES TURNED INTO THE
LONGEST TWO HOURS OF THIS CHILD
FROM MOTHER'S LIFE.
I AM A FATHER.
IM AND UNCLE.
I LET -- I AM AN UNCLE.
I LOVE CHILDREN.
THIS IS MY PLEA TO THE PARENTS
IN THIS COUNTY AND AROUND.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO
UNBUCKLE YOUR CHILD AND TAKE
THEM IN THE STORE WITH YOU,
LEAVE THEM AT HOME WITH A
SITTER.
IT IS TOO HOT FOR THE CHILD TO
BE IN THE CAR.
BUT ABOVE THAT, WE HAVE TOO MANY
KNUCKLEHEADS WHO ARE LOOKING AND
LURKING TO TAKE A VEHICLE, NOT
CARING IF YOUR CHILD IS IN THE
CAR.
WE ARE THE PROTECTORS OF OUR
CHILDREN.
AND SO, TODAY, MY PLEA, BECAUSE
AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE ONLY
THING I CAN DO IS CHARGE.
AND I'M CHARGING.
AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE
JUSTICE IS DONE.
BUT IT IS MY HOPE THAT NO CHILD
IS EVER TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR
PARENT AGAIN BY THE MISSTEP OR
THE MISTAKE OF THE PARENT
LEAVING THEIR CHILD UNATTENDED.
IT IS NOT OK AND IT IS NOT RIGHT
AND, AS A PARENT, YOU NEED TO
GIVE YOUR CHILD BETTER AND MORE
SUPPORT AND PROTECTION.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN THE
FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS, AND I WILL
LET IT BE KNOWN THERE WILL BE
QUESTIONS I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
ANSWER, AND I HAVE LIKEWISE BEEN
NOTIFIED BY THESE FINE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT THEY
CANNOT WEEK TO YOU.
SO I WILL SPEAK FOR ALL OF THEM.
ALL RIGHT?
-- THEY CANNOT SPEAK TO YOU.
SO I WILL SPEAK FOR ALL OF THEM.
ALL RIGHT? >> [INDISCERNIBLE]
THERE WILL BE NO CHARGES AGAINST
THE PARENT TO LEFT THE CHILD IN
THE CALL OR IS THAT STILL UNDER
INVESTIGATION?
>> THAT IS STILL UNDER
INVESTIGATION AS WE LOOK INTO
THE REASONS BEHIND THE CHILD
BEING LEFT BEHIND.
IT IS ONGOING.
I CANNOT SAY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
YES, MA'AM.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> YES, MA'AM.
>> DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE LOOKING
FOR HER?
>> AT THIS TIME WE HAVE ONE IN
CUSTODY.
THE OTHER PERSON IS NOT IN
CUSTODY AT THIS TIME.
IT IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION,
AS THESE WONDERFUL LAW
ENFORCEMENT FOLKS ARE DOING
THEIR JOB AND AS EVIDENCE COMES
FORWARD FOR HER BEING IN
CUSTODY, WE WILL REPORT THAT
INFORMATION.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
HAS HE EXPRESSED ANGER OR
REMORSE FOR HIS ROLE?
>> AT THIS POINT WE WILL LET HIS
LAWYER ADDRESS WHETHER HE IS
EXPRESSING REMORSE AND WHAT HE
FEELS CONCERNING THAT.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> I WILL TELL YOU --
>> WE DO WANT YOU TO KNOW, AND
LEAVE WITH THIS, THAT IS THE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY -- THE FEMALE
IN THE BLUE LUMBER IN THAT
CONVENIENCE STORE IS NOT IN
CUSTODY -- BLUE ROMPER IN THAT
CONVENIENCE STORE IS NOT IN
CUSTODY.
ALTHOUGH SHE IS CHARGED.