By Elizabeth Joseph | CNN
A California girl has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after mendacity to authorities {that a} couple was making an attempt to kidnap her youngsters, in keeping with the Sonoma County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
Kathleen Sorensen, 31, was sentenced to jail Thursday on a single depend of knowingly making a false report of a criminal offense. The conviction stemmed from an incident in December 2020, when Sorensen and her two youngsters had been procuring at a Michaels craft retailer in Petaluma, California, about 30 miles north of San Francisco.
After shopping for a number of objects, Sorensen left together with her two youngsters and drove out of the car parking zone, in keeping with a information launch from Sonoma County prosecutors. A number of minutes later, Sorensen known as the Petaluma Police Division to report a pair tried to kidnap her youngsters.
Moreover, Sorensen recorded and posted a viral video on Instagram in regards to the purported incident a few week later, in keeping with the discharge.
Within the video, Sorensen talked in regards to the incident in “nice element” and added “vital particulars that had not been disclosed to the Petaluma Police Division,” the district legal professional’s workplace stated. Sorensen additionally went on a neighborhood information program and repeated her account of occasions.
In a follow-up interview with police, Sorensen recognized a pair from the shop video because the people who tried to kidnap her youngsters, the discharge stated. However police stated her report proved to be false and “was resoundingly contradicted by the accused couple in addition to retailer video that was obtained,” the district legal professional’s workplace stated.
CNN has reached out to Sorensen’s legal professional for remark.
Days after the incident, Sadie Martinez recognized herself and her husband because the couple accused of the alleged kidnapping, the Petaluma Argus-Courier reported on the time. Sadie Martinez, who’s Latina, suspected the incident was racially motivated – Sorensen is White.
“I couldn’t imagine it. It’s like we’re actually responsible of being brown whereas procuring,” she stated, in keeping with the Argus-Courier.
In April, after a jury convicted Sorensen of mendacity to authorities a few false kidnapping try, Martinez informed Elle Journal that she was “joyful” with the end result.
“After (Sorensen) prevented accountability for years, after which listening to she was discovered responsible and walked out in handcuffs… sure, justice was served,” she stated. “I really feel prefer it’s a step in the precise path for my household. I’m grateful for the assist.”
The district legal professional’s workplace stated 60 days of Sorensen’s sentence may very well be served in a piece launch program.
“Ms. Sorensen has been held accountable for her crime and we imagine the decide handed down a good sentence. Our hope is that this measure of accountability will assist present some closure to the couple that was falsely accused of getting tried to kidnap two younger youngsters,” District Lawyer Carla Rodriguez stated in an announcement.
Sorensen was “additionally positioned on 12 months of casual probation throughout which era she was ordered to haven’t any social media presence, undergo warrantless search and seizure, to incorporate her digital units, full a 4-hour implicit bias coaching, in addition to numerous fines and costs,” the discharge stated.
