CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Charleston mother named in an Amber alert Sunday after taking her kids from a parking lot will not be charged, police said.
Charleston police said their investigation revealed Theressa Woodson, 27, had full legal custody of her four children.
They originally were told by family members that Woodson had lost custody, leading to the issuance of the alert.
“Our main goal was the safety of the kids, the well-being of the kids, (so) then we could look into possible charges,” said Detective Sgt. Tony Hazelett. “But the charges are not there.”
Police quickly contacted Woodson and discovered the children were fine.
The grandmother of the children has custody in school and medical situations through the state DHHR, but the parental rights still belong to Woodson, Hazelett said.
Woodson reportedly became upset when she saw her kids—ages 4, 6, 6 and 12—with another woman in the Rite Aid parking lot on Charleston’s West Side.
“That infuriated the mother. She got out. An argument ensured and (Woodson) just grabbed the kids and left,” Hazelett said. The grandmother then called police.
The children had no signs of abuse or neglect, Hazelett said.