An Iowa mother scared off a pair of criminals who allegedly attempted to kidnap her son in a Des Moines skywalk by drawing her weapon.
The mother, Shay Lindberg, was leaving her office when she noticed a pair of homeless people walking back and forth in front of the door and waving at her son.
Lindberg says that she assumed that they just wanted to apply for a job or something and did not think anything of leaving the office.
The duo outside was Laurie Potter, 56, and Michael Ross, 43.
When Lindberg exited the office with her son, Potter began demanding she give her the child and crouched down and told him she was his “real mother.” She told the child that his real father was “Thor” and grabbed his arm and tried to run away.
At this point, Lindberg pulled out her weapon and told the pair to leave.
“In this case, the display of a handgun had the desired effect, and a mother was able to protect her child,” Des Moines Police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek told the Des Moines Register.
“This incident, and other recent events involving self-defense with a firearm, should send a strong message to criminals. The risk of being seriously injured or killed while committing a crime is very real,” Parizek said.
Will Hunter, a site supervisor with Per Mar Security Services who patrols the skywalk, told the Register that a photo he had taken of Ross earlier in the day had helped to identify the suspects.
“It was an ideal outcome. At the end of the day, the kid is safe,” Hunter said. “Shay used a legal concealed carry as a deterrent and no shots were fired, no mess.”
Potter and Ross have been charged with felony child stealing. They are each being held on a $50,000 cash bond.
