A woman is facing serious charges after police say she tried to kidnap a 5-year-old girl at a park in Bullhead City, Arizona. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Kyndilun Danielle Mayweather Sooten, was reportedly found with the child inside a restroom at Rotary Park on Sunday afternoon. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the police were called to the scene around 3:40 p.m. when the girl’s mother reported her daughter missing for about an hour.
Upon arrival at the park, located at 2315 Balboa Drive, officers were informed by the mother that she had already located her daughter in the restroom, with Mayweather Sooten’s hand allegedly over the girl's mouth to supposedly keep her from calling for help. The suspect, known to police from prior encounters, claimed she was trying to help the little girl find her parents, but her actions led police to believe otherwise. The child was found unharmed, but the incident quickly turned into a criminal matter. "Mayweather Sooten was taken into custody and booked into the Mohave County Jail in Kingman," as 8 News Now reported.
Mayweather Sooten, described by police as a transient, has had previous encounters with law enforcement officers in the city's parks, adding to the complexity of the case. As the investigation continues, details remain sparse, but the charges of aggravated assault and kidnapping stand to fundamentally disrupt the life of a woman who has already been on the margins of society, as well as to deeply affect the child involved and her family.
Details of the court proceedings for Mayweather Sooten have not been released yet. What will unfold in the courtroom in the days to come is expected to be a critical next step for all parties involved. No date has been set for an initial court appearance.
