Dalton Police Use FLOCK Cameras to Find Two Abducted Tennessee Children at Econo Lodge and Arrest Man and Woman on Custodial Interference Warrants
DALTON, GA — Police in Dalton found two children abducted from Mooresburg, Tennessee, at a local hotel Thursday night after a FLOCK camera alert led officers to a suspect vehicle. A man and a woman were arrested in connection with the case, and authorities said the children were unharmed.
The Dalton Police Department said it was contacted around 8:45 p.m. Oct. 1 by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department in Rogersville, Tennessee, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Officers were asked to help locate the children, and a short time later the vehicle was spotted in Dalton.
Camera system led officers to a silver Hyundai parked at the Econo Lodge
Police said the FLOCK license plate camera system identified a suspect vehicle tied to the case. Officers had been told to watch for a silver 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, and about 30 minutes after the alert, patrol officers found it in the parking lot of the Econo Lodge on North Tibbs Road.
That discovery set off a quick response from Dalton officers and a detective. The hotel lot became the center of the search as investigators moved in to check the vehicle, the lobby and the surrounding area. Police said the timing of the hit allowed them to locate the children the same night they were reported missing.
Rebecca J. Calfee was found with the children in the lobby
Officers said they found one of the suspects, Rebecca J. Calfee, with the children in the hotel lobby. Calfee was arrested on a custodial interference warrant from Tennessee. Police said the children were safe when they were recovered.
Investigators continued speaking with Calfee as the search for the second suspect continued. The children were then taken into protective custody while officers worked through the arrest process and coordinated with agencies in Tennessee. Dalton police said the joint effort was aimed at getting the children back to their home state as quickly as possible.
Steven Kirkpatrick was arrested in the parking lot
While investigators were interviewing Calfee, officers found the other suspect, Steven Kirkpatrick, in the parking lot. He was also arrested on a custodial interference warrant from Tennessee. Police said both suspects were later taken to the Whitfield County Jail.
Authorities said the two were charged with fugitive from justice once they were booked in Whitfield County. Police also said Kirkpatrick was charged with possession of a schedule III controlled narcotic. Officials did not say what led officers to Kirkpatrick in the parking lot or whether the vehicle was occupied when police arrived.
Children were turned over to Whitfield County DFACS after being found safe
Dalton police said the children were not hurt. After they were recovered, they were turned over to Whitfield County DFACS until arrangements could be made for their return to Tennessee. The agency’s role was temporary while officials coordinated the transfer.
The case crossed state lines and brought together local, state and Tennessee authorities. Police credited the camera alert and the fast response by Dalton officers for helping locate the children within minutes of the vehicle being found. No further details about the original abduction were released in the initial update.
Interstate law enforcement response centered on a hotel parking lot search
The case unfolded in a matter of minutes once the vehicle was spotted in Dalton. Police said they were alerted at 8:45 p.m., found the Hyundai around 9:15 p.m. and located the children soon after at the Econo Lodge. That compressed timeline gave investigators little room for delay.
Officials from the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were all involved in the search. The coordinated response reflected the urgency of an abducted-children case, especially one that had already crossed from Tennessee into Georgia. For Dalton officers, the hotel stop ended with two arrests and two children found safe.
