Columbia Police Department (CPD) investigators have charged two females in connection with a custodial interference investigation involving a 2-year-old girl.
Police Chief W. H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook announces the arrests of 41-year-old Tiffany Alexander and her daughter 23-year-old Janiyah Williams on charges of Custodial Interference, Burglary–First Degree, and Assault–First Degree. Both are accused of forcing their way inside a Hatfield Street home and assaulting two residents before removing a 2-year-old girl from the home.
The victims are the grandparents of the child and were taking care of her at the time of the incident. Both received medical treatment for their injuries. Tiffany Alexander was identified as the biological mother of the 2-year-old and does not have custody of her daughter.
CPD officers were dispatched to the 1800 block of Hatfield Street at approximately 6:30 last night for an emergency disturbance call involving a weapon. While en route to the home, the emergency call was upgraded given the serious nature of the removal of the child.
When officers arrived at the home, they located the grandparents, who reported the suspects breaking into the home and assaulting them with multiple items including a baseball bat and pepper spray to take the child.
Despite being assaulted while attempting to save the child, the victims were able to provide CPD officers with a description of the suspect’s getaway vehicle. CPD officers relayed the information to SLED agents at the State Fusion Center with vital information about the crimes in preparation for issuing an Amber Alert.
It was determined the suspects were fleeing the area with the child back home to Texas. With the assistance of Columbia-Richland 9-1-1 dispatchers and the SLED Agents, the exact location of the suspects was identified and communicated to out-of-state law enforcement. As a result, the suspects were located and stopped on Interstate 85 in Georgia by the Georgia State Patrol.
During the traffic stop on I-85, troopers found both suspects and the child inside the car. The suspects were taken to a Georgia jail and are awaiting extradition to Columbia.
The 2-year-old was found in good health and not physically harmed. Last night, she was temporarily in the care of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services. Thankfully, the child is now safe and sound back home in Columba.
All persons arrested/charged are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.