Lakeville Couple Charged With Theft, Child Neglect After Going Missing With Kids
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two Lakeville parents face charges after they allegedly went missing with their children last week and were found in a car behind a grocery store in unsanitary conditions, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
Zachariah Wilson, 38, and Angela Robinson, 33, were both charged Thursday with theft by temporary control, a felony, and child neglect, which is a gross misdemeanor.
According to the complaint, the couple's two children, ages 4 and 7, both live at Robinson's mother's place in Lakeville. During the late evening hours of Oct. 19 or possible early morning hours of Oct. 20, Robinson's mother entered her daughter's room and encountered Wilson. She was upset and reminded him that he was not allowed at the residence.
The couple is accused of then taking Robinson's mother's car with the intention of dropping Wilson off at a friend's, but they left with the kids and fell off the grid.
Robinson is a former heroin and pill user, while Wilson is on probation for terroristic threats and is alleged to be in violation of the probation for not making contact with his agent. Wilson is also said to have violent tendencies and has made threatening comments toward Robinson and his family in the past, according to the complaint.
After five days of the family being missing, a worker making an early morning delivery to a grocery store in Minneapolis observed a vehicle parked by the loading dock with the lights out and the couple standing outside the vehicle. He said the man, later identified as Wilson, had on a ski mask, sunglasses and gloves. Robinson allegedly had on a hat, her collar pulled up and sunglasses.
When the delivery worker confronted them, Wilson claimed they were "doing surveillance." At that time, a child jumped up in the backseat of the car, and Wilson allegedly reached in a backhanded the child. The delivery worker, who said he heard the impact of the slap, told them he was going to call police.
Police were alerted and the family was stopped in the vehicle after Robinson allegedly tried to evade them. When the vehicle was stopped, Wilson allegedly refused to get out of the vehicle or identify himself.
In a police search of the car, a syringe was found in the center console. The content of the syringe was later tested, but rendered an inconclusive result.
Police said the family members all had a strong odor that indicated they hadn't bathed in days.
Robinson elected to remain silent, but police say the 7-year-old child told a social worker that they had been driving around for days and had all slept in the car since leaving his grandmother's house. The child said they hadn't bathed or brushed their teeth since then. He said that some days they would go without breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The child also said that Wilson would get weird and mad at his mother for no reason and that it scared him. He also said that they had stopped to meet up with his dad's friend, who he said was a "gangster."
In an interview with Social Services, Robinson said she planned to drop Wilson off somewhere but then got lost and lost her phone. She also admitted that they had been behind the grocery store, but they were just playing around and pretending to be security.
If convicted, both parents face up to 5 years in prison on the theft charge and up to 1 year for the child neglect charge.