We want to congratulate the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office on their incredible detective work to rescue sweet, 14-year old Kaylee. We were proud to have assisted in the investigation.
It is every parent’s worst nightmare: When Kaylee’s mother went to pick her up from a sleepover at her friend’s house, Kaylee was not there.
The investigation began by interviewing her friend and his mother, who insisted that the last time they’d seen Kaylee, she had been walking down their driveway. Detectives spoke with Kaylee’s friends, scoured social media, and checked cell phone records. Nothing unusual stood out — until law enforcement decided to take a closer look at her friend’s home, this time with a search warrant.
They found a carpeted trap door in the corner of a closet. Opening the trap door, they found a small crawl space with filthy towels. They found a purple and pink sleeping bag. They found Kaylee.
It’s hard to imagine another mother could be part of an alleged kidnapping, but it happens. Subsequently, suspect Isaiah Haggard, age 20 of West Point, and suspect Annie Pearl Abernathy, age 41 of West Point, were placed under arrest on charges including numerous counts of Providing False Information to a Peace Officer, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, and for Felony Child Endangerment. A third person, Suspect Jose Tinocopureco, age 34 of West Point, was arrested for Providing False Information to a Peace Officer and for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. All suspects were booked into Calaveras County Jail. Haggard and Abernathy are being held with a $100,000.00 bail each. Tinocopureco was booked and released with a citation for the misdemeanor charges. Additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.
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*Name and locations have been changed to protect the child’s identity.