Infant Boy Found In White Bear Lake After Being Forcibly Taken From Mother; Suspect At Large
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Chisago County Sheriff's office says a man forcibly took his 6-month-old son from the boy's mother Thursday. The baby has since been safely located, but the suspect remains on the loose.
Officers first responded to a Wyoming, Minnesota gas station at about noon on a report of a female crying in the bathroom. The victim told officers she was assaulted in a vehicle on Interstate 35, and again in the gas station bathroom.
Her child was later dropped off at a house in White Bear Lake. It is not clear if the mother was reunited with her infant.
Authorities say the suspect is Ben Tietz, 38. He is about 250 pounds, he has facial hair, and is believed to be wearing a black and gray hoodie. Tietz is the father of the child, but he does not have custodial rights. Authorities say he may be armed with large knives. It is unknown if he has firearms.
The vehicle is described as a 2002 silver Chevy Monte Carlo, with a Minnesota license plate 572TZT. Anyone with information on Tietz's whereabouts is urged to call 911.
Authorities say the kidnapping did not rise to the criteria needed for an official Amber Alert.
