Utah mom accused of kidnapping boy to make him apologize for bullying her child

A Utah woman faces the potential of life in prison for allegedly kidnapping an 11-year-old boy off the street, taking him to her home and forcing him to apologize to her child for being a bully. Provo resident Shannon Marie Tufuga was charged Monday with child kidnapping, which carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison, along with aggravated child abuse for allegedly terrorizing the boy, according to court documents.

The incident occurred Sept. 17 of last year. According to an affidavit of probable cause, the 11-year-old “was riding his bike in his neighborhood in Provo” when Tufuga, “driving around looking for” him to confront him about bullying her child, stopped her vehicle in front of his bike and made him get in. She transported him to her home without his parents’ knowledge or permission to have him apologize to her child.

Once at the house, the boy apologized but was reportedly threatened by Tufuga that her husband would beat him up. She also told him he was “lucky she did not run over KB’s bike,” the affidavit states. She then drove the boy home.

The boy was so traumatized by the experience that it has caused him “serious emotional distress,” according to the affidavit. “KB now has high anxiety and has had to alter his daily routines significantly since this incident.”

Former Campbell County Sheriff Bill Pownall said he understands the instinct of a parent to protect her child, but becoming a bigger bully to stop bullying is crossing the line. “Definitely not the right way to go about that,” he said. “I damn sure wouldn’t go grab a kid and drag him to my house.”

Pownall recommended parents dealing with bullying first talk with the other parents. “I know that may not work, and if it didn’t, then maybe an officer could intervene. But you should contact the parent of the child, see if you could get something worked out as far as the bullying is concerned.”

The court affidavit doesn’t indicate whether Tufuga had reached out to the 11-year-old’s parents, their school or law enforcement before the alleged kidnapping. She has been summoned to court for an April 30 initial appearance.