TACOMA, Wash. — The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PCPAO) has declined to file charges against a man initially accused of kidnapping a child in Tacoma that triggered an AMBER Alert in June.
On June 14, an AMBER Alert was issued, and quickly cancelled, for a 2-year-old who was reportedly kidnapped outside a Wendy’s on South Steele Street.
The man at the center of the alert said he saw the child outside and was trying to find her parents. Tacoma Police said he drove off with the child.
He was quickly found and interviewed by police.
The father of the 2-year-old has stated publicly that he appreciates the man’s actions and does not want to see him charged.
The PCPAO said that evidence in the case did not show any criminal intent by the man who left with the child. The child was not harmed while with the suspect, either, according to the PCPAO.
The office will not be filing charges against the man for the incident.
“We encourage people who find an unattended child to call the police rather than leave with the child,” the prosecuting attorney’s office said.
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