UINTAH COUNTY, Utah, May 18, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Three people were booked into the Uintah County jail Wednesday after what investigators say was the attempted kidnapping of a child by a man falsely claiming he was a social worker sent to take the juvenile.
Arrested in the case were Ty Lucerno Whetten, 36; Beth Marilyn Marie Schardine, 33; and Kaitlin Anne Bachman, 24.
Investigators were alerted to the incident when a call came to Vernal dispatch at 11 a.m. May 15 regarding a suspicious circumstance.
“The caller stated that a male suspect and female suspect approached a residence and began banging on the door,” says an affidavit filed in Whetten’s arrest by an agent of the State Bureau of Investigation.
“When the property manager approached the male suspect and female suspect, the male suspect indicated that he was a social worker and was there to remove a child from the home. The property manager informed the male suspect that no one currently lives at the residence.”
The residence was previously occupied by the child and the child’s father, the statement says. Whetten asked for the father’s current address, which the property manager declined to provide.
The caller told dispatch the man and a female were traveling in a white Jeep Renegade SUV, the affidavit says. At 12:15 p.m. that day, a Jeep matching that description was seen at the workplace of the victim’s wife, which Whetten and a female reportedly entered, asking to talk to the victim’s wife. The wife alerted her husband.
At about 10 p.m. that night, the father was at the residence with his family “when he heard a loud banging on his front door,” Whetten’s affidavit says. “He was occupied and did not go to the door right away.
“The victim heard a second loud bang on the front door and headed to see what was going on. As he came down the interior stairs of the residence, he observed a male and female inside of his residence. The father instructed his wife to take (the child) into the bathroom and call 911.”
The wife told dispatch a man and woman were inside the residence, threatening to take the child. Both the male intruder and the father were armed.
“A verbal argument ensued inside the residence until law enforcement arrived on scene,” Whetten’s affidavit says. “When law enforcement arrived, the male and female intruders attempted to flee the residence through the front door.
“As the male exited the door, he was met by two officers, one from Naples City Police Department and one from Uintah County Sheriff‘s Office. The male pointed his handgun towards the officers and retreated into the residence. As the male and female retreated into the residence, the father fired a single shot from his handgun into the wall in the stairwell.”
The male and female intruders then exited through the rear of the residence, and the female picked up a large metal briefcase, which she took with her.
“They were again met by multiple officers and surrendered to them. The male and female were taken into custody and the male’s handgun was recovered. Other officers on scene observed another female sitting in the driver’s seat of the Jeep Renegade. She was detained pending the investigation.”
Through interviews, officials were told the child was born to the victim (father) and his ex-wife.
“The male and two females told investigators that the victim (father) was not supposed to have the child.” The father told investigators he was awarded full custody by the courts, the probable cause statement said.
Investigators interviewed the sus[ects, and “asked if they would honor the court’s decision if it was not favorable to what they wanted. They would not give a straight answer and indicated they had a propensity to want to remove the child from the father.”
One or more of the suspects interviewed also said the plan to take the child had been in the works for a week or two.
Whetten was arrested for investigation of:
- Aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated kidnapping while committing unlawful detention, a third-degree felony
- Two counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Impersonating a peace officer or public servant, a class B misdemeanor
Schardine was arrested for investigation of:
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
Kaitlin Anne Bachman was arrested for investigation of:
- Burglary of a dwelling
- Aggravated kidnapping
A judge ordered all three held without bail.
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes available.
