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Mom accused father of kidnapping 4-month-old. Now, she faces charges in Georgia

The dad’s kidnapping charge was dropped, officials said.
The dad’s kidnapping charge was dropped, officials said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A 4-month-old’s disappearance sparked an Amber Alert, and now the baby’s mom faces charges in Georgia, officials said.

In the early stages of the investigation, Tamia Cooper is accused of telling police that she and the child’s father had gotten into a fight. That’s when she said the father jumped from a window and left with the baby.

But later, “some of the original information provided to investigators was found not to be true,” the Waynesboro Police Department said in an April 22 news release.

Cooper is now charged with making a false statement and simple battery family violence. Police in their news release didn’t list attorney information for her.

Georgia investigators issued a statewide Amber Alert after Cooper’s child was reported missing last week, McClatchy News reported. The baby and his father disappeared April 18 from Waynesboro, roughly 25 miles south of Augusta.

Crews searched for the pair, who were both found on April 19. Officials said the dad was taken into custody at the time.

But due to the lies reportedly told to investigators, they “elected to dismiss the charge of kidnapping against” the dad. He continues to face a charge of simple battery family violence, according to police.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 9:21 AM with the headline "Mom accused father of kidnapping 4-month-old. Now, she faces charges in Georgia."

Simone Jasper
The News & Observer
Simone Jasper is a service journalism reporter at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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