Inset: Tracy Zahl (Oklahoma County Jail). Background: Westminster Presbyterian Church Child Care Center in Oklahoma City, where Zahl allegedly tried to kidnap a 2-year-old (Google Maps).
An Oklahoma attorney allegedly tried to lure a 2-year-old child out of a day care, later telling investigators she was “sent by God to be with the children.”
Tracy Zahl, 49, stands accused of kidnapping, according to jail records. The incident occurred on July 23 at Westminster Presbyterian Church Child Care Center, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. According to the affidavit, Zahl walked in through an unlocked door and proceeded downstairs to a classroom.
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Zahl allegedly approached a 2-year-old girl and tried to take her, instructing the child to “come out of the classroom and follow her.” A teacher realized what was going on and grabbed the child from Zahl before telling her to leave and calling the director about the situation, the affidavit states. Zahl continued to walk around the church and saw a group of children walking in a line. Zahl inserted herself into the line and said she was “going with them” when confronted by a teacher. The teacher, who thought she might be a volunteer, allowed Zahl to follow the kids to a classroom where she “proceeded to sit at a table with multiple children” until another staff member approached her, the complaint states.
The defendant allegedly said she was “sent by God to be with the children” before she was again told to get off the property. This time, she left, and a staff member wrote down part of Zahl”s license plate and passed it on to cops. Using license plate readers, officers located Zahl at her home, less than a mile away from the church. She admitted to making a mistake and that she had no reason to be at the day care as she has no child or grandchild who attends there, according to local NBC affiliate KFOR.
Cops arrested Zahl and took her to the Oklahoma County Jail, where she remains on a $30,000 bond. She does not have an attorney listed in court documents.
KFOR reported that the Oklahoma Bar Association had previously disciplined Zahl for forging a prescription. She was also arrested in 2021 for reportedly threatening to kill a co-worker.
