A woman has been arrested in Santa Monica after allegedly attempting to kidnap an 8-year-old girl on Wednesday afternoon, as reported by the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD). Courtney Perrone, 40, is accused of posing as a Russian police officer to take the child.
The incident occurred in an alley south of Maple Street at around 2:30 P.M., where the child was helping a neighbor load pets into a vehicle. Perrone approached and initiated what police described as a tug-of-war over the child, claimed she was taking the child, and attempted to pull her away. The neighbor successfully shielded the child inside his car and confronted Perrone, who was said to have produced a switchblade knife before fleeing the scene, as detailed in a statement obtained by KTLA.
Perrone was found by officers near a white BMW in the Gelson’s parking lot, where she was detained and later identified by witnesses. The SMPD release notes that Perrone appears to be homeless and living out of her vehicle. She holds a criminal record spanning multiple states, with charges including assault and battery, resisting arrest, and possession of controlled substances. Despite recently being arrested for Assault with a Deadly Weapon by LAPD's Pacific Division, she was released due to insufficient evidence and is currently on probation for a similar conviction in Nevada.
The suspect has outstanding warrants from New Hampshire for Forgery and Intimidation (Stalking) and is set to be arraigned on August 23rd. According to the SMPD, Perrone faces felony charges for Attempted Kidnapping and False Imprisonment, alongside a misdemeanor for Brandishing a weapon. Anyone with further information on the incident is urged by authorities to contact detectives via the contact details provided in the SMPD statement.
