While Rachel Youngs was shopping at her local Target with her 9-week-old daughter, Waverly, she had a conversation with a young woman with a dog. Rachel told WECT TV 6 that the woman seemed very friendly and made a joking comment about wanting to trade her dog for Rachel’s daughter.
Rachel, unfazed, continued talking to the woman and learned that she had a dog grooming business and also babysat on the side. When the woman asked Rachel if she could hold her daughter Waverly, Rachel didn’t hesitate to hand her young child over to her.
After the woman hugged Waverly, she started saying things that made Rachel feel uncomfortable. First, the woman asked if Rachel actually had a godmother for her daughter.
When Rachel said no, she offered to be Waverly’s godmother and “split everything 50/50”. The woman then casually suggested that she had been arrested for attempted kidnapping.
At this point, according to Rachel, the strange woman started walking with her daughter.
“I yelled at her and said, ‘I need my baby back, please,'” Give me my baby back,’” Rachel told WECT TV 6.
Luckily the lady stopped and returned the baby to Rachel. Rachel immediately told Target employees to call the police. Upon arrival, the police informed Rachel that she had voluntarily surrendered her daughter and had committed no crime. However, authorities have identified the woman and are investigating.
