"I Felt Uncomfortable"- Mom Influencer Wrongfully Accuses Latino Couple of Kidnapping Her Kids
California police are investigating the case of a mom influencer claiming that a Latino couple tried to kidnap her two young children in the parking lot of a craft store in Petaluma.
The police department said in its investigation of the incident that they found evidence, which supports the couple's version of the story, as reported by the NBC News.
Denying Allegations
The Latino couple denied the allegations against them during a press conference on Friday.
The woman claimed that the Latino couple followed her into Michaels before 10:30 a.m. She then added that the couple trailed her as she shopped with her children in a stroller.
A Petaluma Police Department press release stated that the woman claimed that the couple made comments about the appearance of her children.
Numerous news outlets named Katie Sorensen to be the woman making claims against the Latino couple.
Sorensen had made a social media video about what happened and included important details that she had not shared the police.
The videos had more than four million views before they were deleted.
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Sorensen claimed that her children were the target of attempted kidnap. She then alleged that she saw these people and that they did not look clean-cut.
"I felt uncomfortable around them, and instead of making them uncomfortable with my discomfort, I choose to remain in my discomfort," Sorensen was quoted on a SFGate News report.
She posted the two videos on her now-deleted Instagram handle last week. She had 6,000 followers to over 80,000 followers.
In just a week, the video has spread in conspiracy circles and caused an angry press conference by the couple she accused. This led the police to now turn the investigation on Sorensen.
Petaluma police said that the investigation has seen no evidence supporting the account given by Sorensen, adding that the evidence gathered has backed up the account provided by the couple from the store.
Sadie and Eddie Martinez were the cleared by the police on Thursday. The couple then issued a press release noting that Sorensen's story had inconsistencies. Sorensen said that the couple did not buy anything from the store.
However, a surveillance released by the police shows the couple at a register paying for their purchase.
"I don't know if anyone's been paying attention the last four years, but there's been a lot of racism going on and, well, Katie's following suit," Sadie Martinez was quoted. Sadie added that she was not shocked but they will not stand for it.
Police said that the case is now closed unless new evidence shows up, according to a Buzzfeed News report. Sorensen did not respond to comment on the issue.
However, she earlier told Buzzfeed that she no other motives for sharing her story, aside from urging other parents to remain vigilant.
Indivisible Petaluma, a local activist group, also accused of Sorensen of racially profiling the couple. The group called for community members to stand in solidarity with the Latino couple.
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