LIVONIA, Mich. – Three of four people arrested in connection with the Livonia abduction of two 14-day-old boys were formally charged Thursday with conspiring to kidnap the babies from their mother.
Two teenagers and one 23-year-old are each facing eight charges after twin infant boys were abducted from their mother at a Livonia hotel the night of Aug. 20. An Amber Alert was issued for the babies the next morning, and the children were handed over to Detroit police hours later.
Authorities were initially looking for two females believed to be responsible for the abduction. Two people were handcuffed and detained by police on Monday, but they were cleared and released after police questioned them. Four individuals were arrested on Tuesday, however, and three of them are facing charges so far.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is accusing Curtis Lee Slay, 18, Davion Demetrius Sherman Chandler, 19, and Shantell Re-Azia Jones, 23, of working together to steal the twin boys from their mother.
Officials said Jones befriended the twins’ mother with a plan to steal the children, and that Slay and Sherman Chandler “aided in this effort.” The group allegedly promised the mother “some much-needed assistance to gain access to her children with the express intent [of] stealing them,” Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.
What happened
At around 10:10 p.m. on Aug. 20, officials say two of the defendants were at the Livonia hotel with the infants and their mother. When the mother briefly left the room to grab a drink from the vending machine, the individuals kidnapped the children, officials said.
It was not said which of the four defendants physically kidnapped the children, but two females were captured on camera walking in the hotel and covering their faces.
The mother called 911 and reported that her children were missing from the hotel. Livonia police Cpt. Gregory Yon said Monday that the individuals involved were said to be “friendly acquaintances.”
An Amber Alert was issued early Monday morning in an attempt to locate the missing children. Michigan State Police, FBI agents, and officers from Livonia and Detroit began to investigate the children’s disappearance.
At around 9:30 a.m. the same day, the infant twin boys were dropped off at the front desk of the 9th Precinct of the Detroit Police Department, according to police Chief James White. The babies were taken to the hospital for examination, and appeared to be in good condition.
Police did not identify the person who brought the babies to the precinct.
On Tuesday, Aug. 22, Livonia police arrested four people believed to be responsible for the kidnapping. Family members told Local 4 that they didn’t know the identity of those arrested, and that they wanted to get to the bottom of the situation.
The twin’s paternal grandmother, Yvette McDonald, said she believes people who were offering help on social media were behind the abduction -- which authorities now confirm.
The charges
Jones, Slay and Sherman Chandler were each charged with the following:
- Two counts of kidnapping - child enticement.
- Two counts of unlawful imprisonment.
- One count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping - child enticement.
- Three counts of larceny in a building.
The fourth person who was arrested in connection with the abduction is a minor, and a separate charging decision was expected to be released next week, officials said. Their identity has not been released, but they are believed to be a 16-year-old female.