Florida woman arrested for allegedly kidnapping neighbor's 2-year-old, refusing to return child to parent
A Florida woman is accused of kidnapping her neighbor's child and locking herself and the child inside her apartment, according to officials.
Kim Keeling, 52, is charged with kidnapping and interference with custody of a child, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident began on Friday at about 11:20 a.m. when Keeling grabbed her neighbor's two-year-old child, locked herself and the child inside her apartment and refused to return the child, the neighbor told deputies.
The neighbor, who is the child's mother, broke a window in an attempt to reach her daughter.
When a deputy arrived at the scene, Keeling ignored his demands to return the child.
The deputy, concerned for the child's safety, climbed through the broken window and located the woman in her living room, holding the child and a rolling pin.
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Keeling was then arrested for the kidnapping. She is being held in Okaloosa County Jail without bond.
The child was unharmed in the incident, according to the sheriff's office.
Keeling told deputies she took the toddler away from the mother because she was attempting to protect the child from falling down the outdoor stairs.