Woman accused of attempted kidnapping
POST FALLS — A woman is being held on $50,000 bail after allegedly attempting to kidnap a toddler from a yard.
Jenny L. Anderson, 40, of Minneapolis, is charged with second-degree attempted kidnapping and attempted destruction of evidence, both felonies.
Police responded Sept. 16 to a report that a woman, later identified as Anderson, had walked into the backyard of a Post Falls residence and picked up a 1-year-old girl who was being cared for by a babysitter. Anderson was reportedly accompanied by a 7-year-old girl.
The babysitter reportedly told Anderson to put the child down. After she did so, Anderson allegedly told the child’s siblings, who were also in the yard, that she was a friend of their mother and they should follow her. She also allegedly said her daughter was a cousin to the children.
The babysitter stopped the other children from following Anderson, who allegedly said she would return in 15 minutes, court records said.
Anderson allegedly returned to the residence around 8 p.m. and looked into a window. When the children’s parents returned around 10 p.m., they called 911.
Police made contact with a nearby hotel, to which the babysitter reportedly saw the woman walk, but found no evidence of a person matching Anderson’s description.
The children’s mother contacted police again on Sept. 18 to report that Anderson had returned and had allegedly attempted to lure two girls to the hotel, court documents said. The mother told police she intercepted the girls before they reached the hotel.
At the scene, police reportedly found three girls, including a 7-year-old who said she was staying at the hotel with her mom. The other two girls were sent home, while police accompanied the 7-year-old to the room where she was staying.
A man, identified as Charlie R. Miller, 25, answered the door and allowed police to enter, according to court documents. Anderson was also in the room.
Anderson allegedly told police she was in town to see her 7-year-old daughter, who lives with grandparents, and to work for a business that sells COVID-19 cleaning services.
Police initially told Anderson and Miller to pack up their belongings and leave Post Falls, according to court records.
However, after speaking with the babysitter who allegedly saw Anderson pick up the toddler and with a Kootenai County deputy prosecutor, police returned to the hotel and arrested Anderson for second-degree attempted kidnapping.
The babysitter reportedly confirmed to police that Anderson was the woman she had seen in the yard, according to court documents. The children’s mother confirmed that Anderson was of no relation to her family.
Anderson allegedly told police that she went into the yard because her daughter wanted to play with friends. She said she “was only saying hi to the baby” and had not attempted to leave with the child, according to court documents.
While in custody at the Kootenai County jail, police said Anderson contacted Miller and asked him to use her iCloud account to delete all data on her iPhone, which had been seized as evidence. She also allegedly contacted an unidentified man and asked him to wipe her phone, according to court records.
Police said Anderson had recently posted an ad on a prostitution website, aimed toward clients in the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene area.
Forensic analysis on Anderson’s phone reportedly indicated that Miller was staying with Anderson at the hotel, where he helped care for her daughter while she was working and drove her to meet with clients. Anderson allegedly referred to Miller as an “employee,” according to court records.
Miller was arrested in Post Falls Sept. 29 and charged with accepting the earnings of a prostitute, a felony. He is being held on $10,000 bail.
A judge issued a no-contact order between Anderson and any children under the age of 18.