No Charges Filed After Amber Alert for Missing Child in Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. — The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office has decided not to file charges against a man who took a 2-year-old girl from outside a Wendy's restaurant in Tacoma on June 14. The child was located unharmed shortly after an Amber Alert was issued for her.

The incident began when the girl’s mother reported her missing. The Washington State Patrol quickly issued an Amber Alert after Tacoma police were unable to locate the girl or the suspect. The man, captured on surveillance video, was seen driving away with the child.

An employee at a nearby business reported that the man entered the restaurant seeking help to find the girl’s parents. However, he did not contact law enforcement at that time.

Officers located both the suspect and the child within three hours of the initial report, following tips from the public. The suspect was taken into custody due to an unrelated warrant and was subsequently interviewed by detectives.

Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Adam Faber stated in an email that evidence did not indicate any criminal intent by the man who left with the child. “The child was not harmed when with the suspect,” Faber said.

The girl’s father publicly expressed gratitude for the man’s actions, claiming, “He saved my daughter. Anything else that’s going on in his life, let that be what’s going on in his life.”

Officials continue to advocate that individuals who encounter an unattended child should contact law enforcement instead of taking the child themselves. The prosecutor’s office reiterated this safety message in a recent news release.