2 teens arrested in kidnapping of 3-month-old boy, police say

MILWAUKEE (WISN) - The mother of a 3-month-old baby says two teenagers she let into her home took her son, and she wants them to get the maximum punishment.

Back in his mother’s arms, everything is all right with 3-month-old Anthony Crudup Jr. after his kidnapping Wednesday in Milwaukee led to an Amber Alert. Two teenage girls, ages 14 and 16, were arrested 11 hours after the alert at a house where they were hiding with Anthony, police say.

“I am so tired. I was going crazy. I was just so worried about my baby. I didn’t know what happened to him and what they did with him,” said the boy’s mother, Schatina Cureton.

Cureton says she’d never seen the suspects before, but they approached her, saying they were homeless and needed a place to go.

“They told me they were being molested and that they were being human trafficked, and they said their mom was making them do things with her boyfriend,” she said.

The mother let them into her apartment and says she later dozed off.

“When I woke up at 1:30 in the morning, I noticed my baby was gone, and they were gone. It was too quiet, and his blanket was gone. I looked everywhere for him, and that’s when I called the police,” Cureton said.

Police have not commented publicly on the teenagers’ alleged claims of molestation and human trafficking.

According to a source, while explaining why she allegedly took Anthony, the 16-year-old told police she was being sexually abused, and no one believed her. She thought if she showed up with a baby, they’d believe her.

Cureton says regardless of the suspects’ motive, the girls took advantage of her kindness.

“I feel they should be prosecuted to the max because they didn’t have no business taking my baby. I mean, it’s stuff like this only happens on Lifetime movies. You don’t hear stuff like this every day with teenagers taking babies. You know, that was crazy, and they need to be held accountable for their actions,” she said.

The suspects remain in juvenile detention. Charges have been referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

Three other people were taken into custody on unrelated charges at the home where authorities found Anthony. They were a 19-year-old man, a 33-year-old man and a 56-year-old man. It’s not clear what relationship they had with the teenagers.

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