Man impersonates social worker, tries to kidnap child from Vernal home in premeditated plan, police say
VERNAL, Utah (ABC4) — Three people were arrested Wednesday after an attempt to kidnap a child from a Vernal home, according to Utah Dept. of Public Safety. A male suspect involved in the attempt claimed to be a social worker, and that his intention was to remove the child from the home, police said.
Ty Lucero Whetten, 36, was arrested in Uintah County on impersonating a peace officer/public servant (class-B misdemeanor), aggravated kidnapping (third-degree felony), two counts of aggravated assault (third-degree felony), and aggravated burglary (first-degree felony).
On May 15, at around 11 a.m., police received a report of a suspicious circumstance at a Vernal residence. The caller stated that two suspects, one male and one female, approached the home and “began banging on the door,” a probable cause affidavit states.
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The residence’s property manager reportedly approached the pair, and the male suspect, identified as Whetten, claimed he was a social worker and that he was there to remove a child from the home, according to the affidavit.
The property manager then told them that no one currently lives at the residence, and refused to answer when the male suspect asked where the resident had moved to. The property manager told police that the suspects were driving a white Jeep Renegade SUV.
A little over an hour later, the same two suspects reportedly entered a Vernal day spa and requested to speak with the victim’s wife, the affidavit states. The supervisor at the day spa refused to give out the woman’s location, and also informed the woman of the two suspects that were searching for her.
“The male suspect and female suspect were seen driving the same White Jeep Renegade. They were also observed watching the business from a parking lot across the street,” the affidavit states.
Later that night, at around 10 p.m., a Vernal family was at home when they heard a “loud banging” at the front door. “The victim heard a second loud bang on the front door and went to see what was going on. As he came down the interior stairs of the residence, he observed a male suspect and female suspect inside of his residence,” the affidavit states.
While the situation unfolded, the man reportedly told his wife to take their daughter into the bathroom and call 911. The woman told police that two suspects were inside her home and threatening to take her child. She also said the male suspect — Whetten — was in possession of a handgun.
The male victim reportedly also had a handgun and confronted the two suspects while police responded to the scene. Upon police arrival, the suspects tried to run from the scene through the front door, but were met by two officers.
Whetten, accompanied by the female suspect, then pointed his handgun toward the officers and retreated back into the home, letting off a single shot into the wall in the stairwell, police said. The suspects then exited through the backdoor of the home and were again met by officers.
The two surrendered at the scene and were taken into custody. Police also found a third suspect sitting in the driver’s seat of the Jeep Renegade.
“Interviews with the male suspects and two female suspects also elicited information that the three of them had been planning to travel to Vernal and obtain the child for a couple of weeks,” the affidavit states.
No further information is available at this time.
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