An Okaloosa Island woman was arrested Friday morning after allegedly kidnapping her neighbor’s two-year-old child and locking herself and the toddler inside her apartment, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred around 11:20 a.m. when the suspect, identified as 52-year-old Kim Keeling of Billfish Avenue, reportedly grabbed the child and refused to return the toddler to the mother. In an attempt to reach her child, the mother broke a window of Keeling’s apartment.
When an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived at the scene, Keeling allegedly ignored the deputy’s demands to turn over the child. Fearing for the toddler’s safety, the deputy climbed through the broken glass and found Keeling in her living room, holding the child and a rolling pin.
- The deputy quickly took Keeling into custody, and the child was unharmed.
Keeling claimed that she took the toddler away from the mother because she was trying to protect the child from falling down the outdoor stairs. However, she now faces charges of kidnapping and interference with custody of a child.
