Wis. woman arrested for allegedly kidnapping 1-year-old, trying to lure children at day care

GREEN BAY, Wis. (TCD) -- A 55-year-old woman was taken into custody for allegedly kidnapping her niece’s son and acting suspicious several times near a day care center.

According to a criminal complaint cited by WFRV-TV, on Thursday, July 7, at 6:30 p.m., Green Bay Police officers were called out to a home on Packerland Drive for a "suspicious situation." Upon arriving, officers learned Rita Sterling left with the caller’s 1-year-old son.

The child’s father was reportedly standing outside with Sterling and the child, who was wearing only a diaper at the time. He said he walked back inside the house to get a leaf blower, and when he walked out, Sterling and his son were nowhere to be found.

WBAY-TV, which also cites the criminal complaint, reports officers began searching for the infant around parks, businesses, and other local areas. An officer eventually found Sterling sitting outside on a lawn chair on Green Bay’s east side. Sterling allegedly told the officer she just wanted to babysit the child, but she was also worried there were drugs inside the baby’s parents' house.

Earlier that day, Ashwaubenon Public Safety officers reportedly responded to a day care center for reports of a woman calling to children as she stood near the fence.

The woman, believed to be Sterling, allegedly told the children, "No one likes you. No one is your friend."

As day care workers tried getting the children away, she told the workers, "I’m a watchdog and I’ve been watching all of you. I watch this place during the day and night."

There had reportedly been four similar incidents in the last month at the day care center. Sterling allegedly went up to the fence one time with balloons and another time with money. One of the employees reportedly told police Sterling followed her and her son as they left.

Brown County court records show Sterling has been charged with abduction, stalking, and disorderly conduct.

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