A 2-year-old girl is safe after being taken from Georgia to New Jersey in what authorities call a coordinated kidnapping involving a parent and grandmothers.
The Details: Bibb County Sheriff’s deputies arrested four people who allegedly conspired to transport the toddler across state lines without permission from her mother or Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services.
Those arrested include:
- Dashawn Rashard Sarratt, 30, the child’s father
- Samiyah Cunningham, 24, who was temporarily caring for the child
- Shinikka Cunningham, 49, Samiyah’s mother
- Kiesha Burno, 50, Sarratt’s mother
According to investigators, the child was initially placed with Samiyah Cunningham under an agreement with DFACS during an open investigation. The group then allegedly transported the child by train to New Jersey where Burno fraudulently obtained a temporary custody order through Hudson County Superior Court.
In Context: The scheme unraveled when New Jersey Child Protection Services contacted Georgia DFACS to report the child’s whereabouts. U.S. Marshals helped apprehend the suspects across multiple states.
Sarratt and Samiyah Cunningham were arrested on February 11, while Shinikka Cunningham and Burno were captured on February 26. All four face multiple felony charges including kidnapping and conspiracy, and all have been denied bond.
The child has been safely recovered.
⚠️ Reminder: Crime articles contain only charges and information from police reports and law enforcement statements. Suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
