Dalton Police Find Two Abducted Tennessee Children Safe at an Econo Lodge After Flock Cameras Spot Suspect Vehicle and Lead to Two Arrests
DALTON, GA — Two children reported abducted from Tennessee were found safe at a Dalton hotel after police traced a suspect vehicle with help from a Flock camera system. Officers with the Dalton Police Department said the children were located Oct. 1 at the Econo Lodge on North Tibbs Road, and two people wanted on custodial interference warrants were arrested.
Police announced the arrests Monday, saying the children were unharmed when they were found. The case began as a multi-agency effort that brought together local officers in Georgia with investigators in Tennessee. The children were later placed in the care of the Whitfield County Division of Family and Children Services while arrangements were made to return them to Tennessee.
How officers traced the silver Hyundai Santa Fe to North Tibbs Road
Dalton police said they received a request for help around 8:45 p.m. from the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department in Rogersville, Tennessee, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Investigators were looking for a silver 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe tied to the case and asked officers to watch for it in the Dalton area.
The vehicle was flagged by a Flock camera before patrol officers spotted it about 30 minutes later in the hotel parking lot. Police said that quick hit gave officers the lead they needed to move in. The SUV was at the Econo Lodge, located at 1507 North Tibbs Road, where the children were eventually found safe.
Rebecca J. Calfee arrested in the lobby with the children
According to Dalton police, officers and a detective found Rebecca J. Calfee with the children in the hotel lobby and arrested her on a Tennessee custodial interference warrant. Police said the children were not injured. The arrest came after the vehicle was already confirmed in the parking lot, allowing officers to identify the people connected to the case.
The detention happened while investigators were still working through the details of the Tennessee complaint. Police did not say how long the children had been missing before they were located, but they emphasized that the search ended without harm to the children. The hotel setting also meant officers had to coordinate carefully in a public place while trying to secure the scene.
Steven Kirkpatrick was taken into custody in the parking lot
While officers interviewed Calfee, they found Steven Kirkpatrick in the parking lot and arrested him on a separate custodial interference warrant. Police said both suspects were taken to the Whitfield County Jail. Each was charged with being a fugitive from justice, and Kirkpatrick was also charged with possession of a Schedule III controlled substance.
Local 3 News reported that the two suspects are the non-custodial parents of the children. Dalton police did not repeat that detail in their written update, but they did say the pair were wanted in connection with the Tennessee custodial interference case. The arrests turned a hotel parking lot into the center of a fast-moving interstate investigation.
Children placed with child welfare officials while return plans were arranged
After the arrests, the children were turned over to the Whitfield County Division of Family and Children Services. Officials said that step was taken while arrangements were made for the children’s return to Tennessee. The agency’s role focused on immediate safety and temporary care after the recovery in Dalton.
The police department’s update did not include ages for the children or provide additional detail about the Tennessee case that led to the warrants. Even so, the outcome ended with both children safe and law enforcement in both states working through the handoff. For the agencies involved, the recovery closed a search that had crossed state lines and centered on the hotel where the vehicle was found.
Dalton police credit Flock cameras and interagency cooperation
Dalton police Capt. Alan Woods said the children could not have been located without the FLOCK camera system and the cooperation of local and state law enforcement agencies. His comments underscored how quickly the case moved once the camera system picked up the suspect vehicle. From there, patrol officers and detectives were able to confirm the location and make the arrests.
The case also highlighted coordination between Georgia officers and authorities in Tennessee. The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department, the GBI and the TBI all played a role in the search for the children and the vehicle. Police said that combined effort led directly to the safe recovery at the Dalton hotel.
