California mom Katie Sorensen convicted of lying about children’s kidnapping
A California “momfluencer” was convicted for making up a narrative of how her youngsters have been practically kidnapped by a Latino couple.
Katie Sorensen, 31, was discovered responsible on one rely of constructing a false report of against the law Thursday and faces as much as six months in jail.
“This verdict will allow us to carry Ms. Sorensen accountable for her crime, whereas on the identical time serving to to exonerate the couple that was falsely accused of getting tried to kidnap two younger youngsters,” Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez. “The case can be necessary in that it illustrates the significance of utilizing social media responsibly.”
In December 2020, Sorensen posted a video to her now-private Instagram account detailing the fabricated story about how her youngsters have been the targets of an tried abduction in Petaluma, Calif.
The mom-of-two was buying at a Michael’s craft retailer the place she bought just a few objects and left the shop to report back to police {that a} couple inside the shop tried to kidnap her youngsters
“My youngsters have been the targets of an tried kidnapping,” Sorensen said at the time. “I need to share that story with you in an effort as to what indicators to search for and encourage mother and father to be extra conscious of their environment and what’s going on round them.”
Sorenson has over 58,000 followers on her Instagram account titled, “motherhoodessentials.”
Sorensen had reported solely suspicious exercise by the couple, later recognized as Sadie and Eddie Martinez, as she “didn’t need anybody arrested however wished to attract consideration to the regarding conduct exhibited by the couple,” in response to the original press release from the Petaluma Police.
A number of days later Sorensen informed her story on her Instagram account which was later deemed suspicious by the police investigating the unique declare.
Sorenson had gone into “nice element” concerning the abduction and added particulars that “had not been disclosed” to police throughout the over two-minute lengthy clip, the Sonoma County District Legal professional mentioned in a press launch on Thursday.
The video went viral, which led to Sorensen giving an interview with the local news station KTVU the place she repeated her story and recognized the couple.
Police used safety cam footage from the shop to establish the accused couple and deemed Sorensen’s claims to be false after the Martinez’ cooperated with the police, calling the claims a racial drawback.
“Do you actually assume it’s OK to go surfing and be racist and make tales a few household?,” Sadie mentioned a number of days after the incident was reported. “It’s laborious sufficient to be a Latin household in a white group.”
The couple, who’re mother and father themselves, were at the checkout counter shopping for an ornamental child Jesus.
Sorensen was charged in April 2021 with two misdemeanor counts of constructing a false report of against the law.
Following her responsible verdict, Sorensen was remanded into custody and her bail was set to $100,000.
