A Los Angeles mother accused of kidnapping her three children claims the whole thing was just a big misunderstanding. The Los Angeles Police Department began the search for Timberly White, 31, on July 6, 2024, after she and her three kids allegedly disappeared. White reportedly does not have custodial rights to her children Mar-Naiya Shelton, 14, Major Shelton, 12, and Jeneral Wellace-Patterson, 6, but was reportedly with them at the time of their disappearance.
The mother claims this was all a misunderstanding and that she never kidnapped her children. She addressed the media with the help of Najee Ali, a social and political activist who wants to help clear the woman’s name.
White’s children were located the day after they were reported missing.
According to an LAPD news release, White and her children were last seen around 9 a.m. in the 2000 block of West Florence Avenue in South Los Angeles. White was seen driving a 2024 Nissan Sentra SV with major damage on the vehicle. Police asked for the public’s help locating the children and called the incident a kidnapping.
The LAPD updated the news release on July 7 with news the children had been found and were with a family member.
White turned herself in to the police.
The mother brought her youngest son with her on July 8, when she turned herself in to the police. She claimed she didn’t kidnap her children. White told reporters this was a big misunderstanding, ABC 7 reported.
According to the mother, she had permission to be with the children, and her sister picked them up from their grandmother before they were reported missing.
The mother said she is innocent.
White told reporters outside the police station that she never had any intention of hurting her children.
“I would never hurt nobody’s kids or hurt anyone. I love my babies,” White told reporters.
She added that the misunderstanding stemmed from a disagreement with the children’s grandmother.
“Me and the grandma had an altercation because I just recently filed back for custody of my kids,” White said.
She added that she is in the process of getting custody of her children back. “I filed back for full custody of my kids, and she was highly upset. She’s been having my kids for the past year and a half now and she used them against me,” White said.
White was arrested on an unrelated charge.
Per ABC 7, police interviewed White about the alleged kidnapping, and she was cleared. She was later arrested on an unrelated felony warrant, Ali told reporters.
“The good news is the detectives interviewed her. They agreed it was a family misunderstanding. The bad news is she is currently being detained momentarily because of an old warrant. We’re hopeful that can be resolved,” Ali said.
Ali posted on Facebook that he just wants to help White.
He claimed in a video on Facebook that White and her family contacted him so he could help spread the word about the apparent misunderstanding. Followers thanked Ali for helping the mother clear her name.
One wrote: “Thank you Najee. Something how your people that should be lifting you, tear you down. Claim.to love your kids but hate you.”
Another agreed commenting, “God Bless you and your children, and Thank you, Najee, for always doing the right thing to help and support us.”