A concerned parent is speaking out after an alleged kidnapping at Wolffarth After School Y Care. Luckily, the kids are safe and with their father, but the police report shows a woman arrived to Wolffarth Elementary After School Y Care wanting to take two kids.
“It’s scary to know that somebody can just go and take off with your kids, and I’m glad she brought them back over here because she could have taken them anywhere else,” said the father of the children.
When employees asked for her identification, they quickly found she was not authorized to take them with her. That’s when they called the children’s dad and Lubbock Police to report what happened.
“Staff followed their training, just as they were supposed to, asking for identification, calling the custodial parent and then calling the police for assistance,” said Glenda Mathis, YWCA executive director. “The YWCA takes cares of close to 1,000 children every day, and we get them involved in sports and activities and have a good time, but always, our No. 1 concern is their safety. That’s our priority.”
The police report shows the woman was still able to take the kids away from the school. A couple blocks down the road, the father saw them with the suspect near Gary Avenue.
“As I was backing out of the car, you know, I looked through the rearview mirror to the back window and I could see them walking from the corner to the light pole across the field,” said the parent.
That’s when he approached them. He grabbed his kids, and the suspect ran away.
“In a case like this, everyone is safe and you’re happy about that. You take the time to look at your processes, your protocols and make sure, is there anyway to improve? Because you’re always trying to improve,” said Mathis. “Make sure that the staff at the school and at the child care center have the right information because when seconds count that’s the most helpful thing of all. It certainly was why this situation was solved so quickly in such a positive way.”
This parent knows this could have been much worse, but he’s glad his kids are safe.
“Tell your kids not to just leave with strangers. Make sure they know who they are,” said the concerned father.
Police were able to track down the woman and take her home. They say they did not arrest her, but the case remains an investigation.
The police report also shows there is no relation between the victims and the suspect. The father says he had never seen her before.
Update: Lubbock Woman Arrested Tuesday for Enticing a Child
