Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — A woman who prompted an hourslong search by Provo police after she didn't return a child she was babysitting has been arrested.
Jordana Nicole Murray, 37, of Provo, was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of trespassing and unlawful detention of a minor.
On Sunday, Provo police were notified of a missing 7-year-old boy. Murray was allegedly babysitting the boy all weekend, but “when the child’s mother attempted to take back custody of the child ... Jordana did not meet the mother and would not respond to her attempts to call,” according to a jail booking affidavit.
After searching all Sunday night into Monday, police received information about 9 p.m. Monday that Murray may be in a vacant home near 2500 West and 800 North in Provo, the affidavit states. Murray had entered the home, which is for sale, through an unlocked back door, police say.
Inside the house, officers found Murray, her own two children and the missing boy.
“It was clear that Jordana had made no attempt to contact the child’s mother or return the child,” the affidavit states.
As of Tuesday, police were still trying to determine why Murray allegedly took the child and what she was intending to do with him. Detectives believes she had entered the vacant house the same day she was arrested.
