LAST UPDATE: 3:42 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 16
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Authorities say the 2-year-old boy abducted from his home Sunday morning has been found and his non-custodial father, and alleged abductor, was arrested in Wisconsin.
Police say 33-year-old Marque Montez Charleston was arrested during a traffic stop in Wisconsin. The 2-year-old was found safe and will be reunited with his mother, who is currently en route.
“This is a great sense of relief, and the outcome is what we always hope for in these types of incidents, said St. Louis Park police spokesman Jamie Zwilling.
Charleston allegedly broke into the child’s home around 1 a.m. Sunday on the 3300 block of Virginia Avenue South in St. Louis Park, Minn.
The 2-year-old, Marque Montez Charleston, Jr., was taken by force after his father made entry through the back door, according to police. His mother, Kyesha Lewis, was assaulted in the incident.
Police say the two left in a black 2005 VW Touareg SUV, Minnesota license plate 110-HUA. Police say Charleston was intoxicated.
According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, troopers observed the suspected vehicle around 1:57 p.m. heading west on Interstate 90/Interstate 94 near Lake Delton, Wis. A trooper initiated a traffic stop and Charleston was arrested and transported to the Sauk County Jail.
The 2-year-old boy was unharmed and asleep in the back seat of the vehicle.
Charleston is a current member of the Minnesota Army National Guard. Lt. Colonel Kevin Olson, spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard, released the following statement:
“The Minnesota National Guard is aware of media reports regarding Marque Montez Charleston, and can confirm that he is a Lieutenant in the Minnesota Army National Guard’s Finance Detachment. He has been a member of the Minnesota National Guard since Jan. 23, 1998. At this time, the alleged charges are a matter for civil authorities.”
Carole Gentry, a neighbor of the boy, brought groceries to the boy’s mother in hopes of bringing her some comfort.
“I was just shocked because they’re such nice people,” Gentry said. “She was just teary-eyed. She had a hard time trying to hold it together.”
Soon, the boy will return home.
“He’s adorable,” family friend Dave Bringle. “He’s fun. I love watching him riding his bike and being a kid, what he’s supposed to be doing right now. Not dealing with this, just being a kid.”
Authorities say an Amber Alert was not sent because the abductor is a family member.
