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VERNAL — An apparent custody dispute resulted in a shot fired and three people arrested and accused of trying to kidnap a child in Vernal.
Ty Lucero Whetten, 36, Kaitlyn Anne Bachman, 24, and Beth Marilyn Marie Schardine, 33, were each charged Monday in 8th District Court with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated burglary, first-degree felonies. Whetten was also charged with two counts of assault on an officer, a second-degree felony, and impersonating a public servant, a class B misdemeanor.
The trio "traveled from out of town to Vernal" on Wednesday with the intention of taking a girl from the child's biological father and then transporting the girl "to the child's biological mother in another city," according to charging documents.
The group first went to a residence where they believed the girl was living. Whetten told the property manager he was a social worker and was there to remove a child from the residence, the charges state. The property manager told the trio that the girl and her father no longer lived there and refused to give out their new address.
The three then went to a business where the man's wife is employed. A supervisor at that location also refused to give them information, the charges say. The business then contacted the victims, who called police.
Later that day, the trio found the residence where the girl, her father and his wife live. Whetten, who was armed, and one of women he was with entered the house uninvited, police say.
"(Whetten) demanded the child and said they were there to take the child," according to the charges.
The wife and the girl went into a bathroom and called 911.
"A verbal argument ensued about the child until law enforcement arrived on scene," charging documents state.
When police arrived, Whetten and the woman attempted to run out the door and were met by two officers. Whetten "pointed his handgun toward the officers" before running back into the home, the charges allege.
As the two ran back into the residence, police say the father "fired a single shot from his handgun into the wall in the stairwell."
Whetten and the woman then ran out the back door where more officers were waiting and took them into custody. The second woman with Whetten was found in a nearby vehicle and was arrested.
During their investigation, police said they learned that the trio had been planning for a couple of weeks to take the girl from the father, who was awarded full custody of his daughter by a court.
