In a shocking turn of events, a white California “mom influencer” named Katie Sorensen was found guilty of fabricating a story about a Latino couple attempting to kidnap her children. Here’s the full story.
A Couple Was Targeting Her Kids in the Parking Lot
The incident unfolded in December 2020 when Sorensen took to social media to share her alarming tale, accusing the couple of targeting her kids in the parking lot of a Michaels craft store in Petaluma, north of San Francisco.
However, Sorensen was found guilty of fabricating the story earlier this year. On Thursday, Judge Laura Passaglia handed down the sentence.
Sorensen will serve 90 days in jail, possibly 60 days in a work-release program. She was immediately taken into custody following the sentencing.
Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez expressed her belief that the sentence provided a fair measure of accountability and hoped it would bring closure to the wrongly accused couple.
Video Evidence Was Obtained From the Store
The accusations made by Sorensen had severe implications for the couple she targeted.
However, authorities cleared them of any wrongdoing after their claims were resoundingly contradicted by the accused couple and video evidence obtained from the store.
The false allegations not only had the potential to ruin the couple’s lives but also fueled racial tensions due to the racial backgrounds involved.
The couple, in an interview with the Petaluma Argus-Courier, suggested that Sorensen’s actions were racially motivated.
“Not Clean-Cut Individuals”
In the social media video that sparked the controversy, Sorensen detailed her encounter with the couple, claiming they had followed her into the store and commented about her children’s appearance.
She described feeling uneasy and portrayed them as “not clean-cut individuals.”
Sorensen alleged that the couple followed her to her car and lingered near the stroller while she placed her children inside.
According to her account, they only left when she yelled for help.
It’s Deeply Affected Their Lives and Cast Them Under a Shadow of Suspicion
The couple vehemently denied Sorensen’s allegations, stating they had simply been at Michaels to purchase Christmas decorations.
The fabricated claims deeply affected their lives and cast them under a shadow of suspicion.
Following her arrest in 2021, Sorensen faced three misdemeanor charges of making a false report of a crime. While she was found not guilty on two counts, she has now been held accountable for her actions.
In addition to serving time in jail, Sorensen has been placed on informal probation for one year.
“TikTok Is Full of Paranoid White Women Making Claims Like This. It’s Going To Get Someone Killed”
During this period, she is prohibited from having a social media presence, must undergo a four-hour implicit bias training, and is subject to warrantless search and seizure.
Several social media users shared their thoughts on the incident. One Twitter user wrote, “Should be more, surprised it’s not less, flabbergasted she’s actually getting any jail time at all.”
Another user added, “TikTok is full of paranoid white women making claims like this. It’s going to get someone killed.”
She Called the Police Because He Was Doing His Job! But He Was in the Right
The post False Alarm – A Mom Influencer Faces Jail Time for Falsely Accusing a Latino Couple of a Kidnapping Attempt first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / iced.espresso. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: NBC News