Cops: Woman left neighbors notes saying their "children look delicious"
CHAMPLIN, Minn. -- Champlin police say a 38-year-old woman was arrested and has admitted sending anonymous threats to a family that said she wanted to taste and lick their children, CBS station WCCO reports.
Police say the woman was upset because the children made noise and left items in her yard. Carrie Pernula was arrested Friday and faces possible charges of gross misdemeanor terroristic threats and stalking.
Word of the threats spread quickly through social media and neighbors tell WCCO both they and the family were terrified.
The first anonymous threat arrived Sept. 27 by mail. The two short sentences said, "The children look delicious. May I have a taste?" The family lives in a Champlin neighborhood and they have two elementary school students.
Terrifed, they called the Champlin Police Department and posted on a Champlin community Facebook page, saying in part, "Opened our mail today to this letter. Obviously my stomach started doing somersaults."
Then, the family began to receive magazine subscriptions.
"Instead of a name on the address label it said things like 'tasty children' along those lines," Champlin Deputy Police Chief Ty Schmidt said.
Champlin police traced the magazines and last Friday arrested Carrie Pernula. Police say she admitted to the threats.
"She was angry because the kids were leaving things in her yard and I think being a little noisy, being kids, the way kids are," Schmidt said.
This neighborhood is full of families with young children. No one we talked with wanted to go on camera but they all told us the same thing. That word of the threats spread quickly on social media and families were terrified for their children.
Pernula was released from jail Monday and is believed to be back at her home. Champlin police say its disturbing someone would create such fear.
"In this case they went way beyond the bounds of what should be done," Schmidt said.
Pernula, when confronted by investigators, admitted to sending notes and magazines because the children at that house were "always putting stuff on her porch."
We were not able to reach Carrie Pernula. She has not been charged. The Champlin city attorney is reviewing her case.