Boy, 6, kidnapped and smuggled across state lines is finally found as police arrest his mother
A mother has been arrested in Wyoming after allegedly kidnapping her six-year-old son and driving him across state lines from Michigan, then leading police on a high-speed chase through a car park and city streets before crashing. Marisa Calliea, 30, did not have custody of Liam Malburg and was due to return him to his father, Justin Malburg, on 4 September, but the boy had been reported missing since 3 September. The case ended safely thanks to a member of the public who spotted the pair at a Walmart and alerted police, though the chase itself put the child at significant risk.
An officer who responded to the tip found the vehicle and waited before approaching Calliea, who allegedly gave false names for herself and her son. When he attempted to verify their identities, she fled in the car, reaching speeds of around 40mph near shoppers before running a red light, driving the wrong way down a one-way street and becoming airborne at an intersection. She was eventually stopped, and both she and Liam were checked by medical staff after the airbags deployed. Calliea faces six misdemeanour charges, including child endangerment, fleeing police and drug possession after officers reportedly found a small amount of marijuana in the car; she claims she fled her son's father over safety concerns and remains in custody at Uinta County Detention Center.
- Mother arrested after allegedly kidnapping son, fleeing police at high speed
- Public tip led officers to Walmart car park where pair were found
- Boy safely returned to father; mother faces six misdemeanour charges
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Marisa Calliea, 30, allegedly took her six-year-old son Liam Malburg from Michigan without permission and drove him to Wyoming, prompting a multi-state search after he was reported missing. She did not have custody of the boy and was meant to hand him back to his father, Justin Malburg, but failed to do so, triggering the alert to police.
The case came to a head when a member of the public recognised the pair at a Walmart in Wyoming and called the authorities. Police involvement is significant here because Calliea allegedly gave false names and then fled from an officer at speed with Liam in the car, turning what began as a missing-person case into a public safety incident.
Calliea now faces several charges connected to the chase and to drug possession, and is being held at a detention centre in Wyoming while the case proceeds. Liam has been found safe and was examined by medical staff, though the circumstances of his removal from Michigan and the reasons behind it remain part of the ongoing investigation.