Two people are in custody and facing charges for abducting their 5-year-old daughter from the Department of Children and Family Services building in Woodstock, authorities said.
Jeffrey S. Cook, 57, and Jessica L. Walsh, 29, both of Lake in the Hills, have been charged with class 4 felony counts of child abduction, authorities said.
Cook is also facing a class 4 felony charge of obstructing justice, authorities said.
Woodstock Police were contacted at 4:04 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, saying the child was abducted from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) office at 113 Newell Street, police said in a news release Wednesday.
Officers responding to the scene and learned custody of the abducted child was recently appointed to the DCFS by the courts, authorities said.
However, Walsh and Cook took the child when they learned custody after learning custody was awarded to DCFS, authorities said.
The news release states Walsh is the biological mother of the child and Cook is the father.
The release states the two took the child then fled Woodstock in a vehicle.
Woodstock Detectives were able to contact Cook, but he was uncooperative in returning the child, authorities said.
Police suspected Cook and Walsh would return to to their Lake in the Hills home, so they contacted the Lake in the Hills Police Department to assist in locating the vehicle.
A search warrant was obtained for the Lake in the Hills residence and Cook and Walsh were located hiding inside with the child, authorities said.
Upon conferring with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, felony charges were approved against Cook and Walsh and an arrest warrant was issued, authorities said.
Cook and Walsh were taken into custody without incident and transferred to McHenry County jail, authorities said.
The child was evaluated by Lake in the Hills paramedics and transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure where custody and safeguarding of the juvenile was turned over to DCFS.
The incident remains under investigation, authorities said.