UPDATE: La Pine woman in custody dispute arrested, in court after multi-agency pursuit; daughter rescued
(Update: Carter in court, bail set at $25,000)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County deputies safely recovered a 9-year-old child reported abducted out of Multnomah County after a 30-minute pursuit that stretched across several Central Oregon communities Monday night. Her mother, a La Pine resident, was arrested and appeared in court Tuesday on several charges, including custodial interference.
According to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, the chase began around 8 p.m. near La Pine when Oregon State Police tried to stop a vehicle connected to a custodial interference and kidnapping investigation. The driver, identified as 46-year-old Charity Lynn Carter of La Pine, refused to pull over and took off, sparking the pursuit south of Bend.
Deputies joined in as Carter sped north through Bend and into Redmond, reportedly driving recklessly and endangering other drivers. Out of concern for the child’s safety, deputies temporarily disengaged from the chase several times.
During the pursuit, investigators say Carter struck five law enforcement vehicles—three belonging to the sheriff’s office—and damaged at least two civilian vehicles in a Safeway parking lot in Redmond. None of the vehicles’ occupants were hurt, according to authorities.
Deputies eventually disabled Carter’s vehicle using spike strips and a Pursuit Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver on Highway 97 in Redmond, just south of Exit 119 near Hemlock Avenue. The chase ended around 8:36 p.m., and the child was safely rescued and later reunited with their custodial parent.
The northbound lanes of Highway 97 were closed for about 30 minutes for the investigation and vehicle recovery.
Carter was taken into custody and arrested on potential charges including kidnapping, hit and run, reckless driving, reckless endangering, attempting to elude, and criminal mischief. Additional charges from Oregon State Police are expected. Officials said K9 Delta assisted in the arrest.
No injuries were reported among officers or members of the public. The sheriff’s office thanked Oregon State Police and the Redmond Police Department for their help during the incident.
Carter was formally charged Tuesday with four felonies - two counts of first-degree custodial interference, fleeing or attempting to elude police and first-degree criminal mischief. She also faces two misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving. She was held without bail at the county jail until her arraignment.
The custodial interference charges accuse Carter of taking the child from a lawful custodian with an intent to hold the child permanently or for a long period of time, also exposing the child "to a substantial risk of physical injury."
Carter appeared by video for arraignment Tuesday afternoon., where her defense attorney asked for conditional release, noting she has no criminal history and no record of failure to appear in court.
But a prosecutor said the custody battle between her and the girl's father led to her repeated disobeying of court orders. The father was awarded full custody of the child last year.
The deputy district attorney recounted the pursuit during which Carter allegedly hit four patrol cars, disabling two.
Circuit Judge Bethany Flint noted "lots of countervailing factors" as she set bail at $25,000, such as the woman's lack of a job or transportation for court hearings, along with her violation of the previous custody award and her "significant disregard for the health and safety of others" during Monday night's pursuit.
Flint also set as a condition that Carter have no contact with her daughter, including messaging, and that she "can't live in physical proximity to the kiddo," noting it's "important that her recollection of events be preserved," as "recent events may have been significantly traumatic."
Carter is due back in court in a week on an expected grand jury indictment.
