Mother, brother arrested for taking county child

A woman and her brother were arrested in North Dakota for allegedly running away with the woman's toddler son from Trempealeau County. According to a press release by the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department, Jessica Cleasby, 34, and Jamey Cleasby, 52, - both with Eleva addresses - were arrested without incident in North Dakota Saturday night after they were found to be in the custody of a child who was reported as missing from Trempealeau County. The child, Sawyer Jacobs, was reported missing last Friday when the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Department published a social media post asking for assistance in finding the 18-month-old toddler. The post noted that the child might be with Jessica Cleasby or Jamey Cleasby.

According to the release sent Monday by the sheriff's department, Jessica Cleasby was court-ordered to turn the child over to the Trempealeau County Department of Human Services by 4:30 p.m. last Friday due to safety concerns. When she did not turn the child over, a search began. On Saturday, the sheriff's department obtained information that indicated that the Cleasby siblings had left the state and that they had the child with them. Authorities traced the woman and her brother by pinging a cell phone, according to an Associated Press report. The Griggs County Sheriff's Office advised the vehicle the Cleasby siblings were reportedly in was found at a motel in Cooperstown, N. D. At approximately 7:45 p.m., GCSO along with assistance from North Dakota Highway Patrol and Foster County Sheriff's Office were able to take the two individuals into custody. The child was found in the hotel room unharmed and arrangements were made for him to be returned back to Wisconsin. The Cleasby siblings were transported to Stutsman County Correctional Center on warrants out of Wisconsin. They are also facing charges in North Dakota along with extradition back to Wisconsin for interfering with the custody of a child, according to the TCSD release. As of Monday of this week, neither Cleasby officially had charges filed against them and were still listed as being inmates at the Stutsman County Correctional Center. The incident is still under investigation, according to the TCSD.

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