Kidnapping suspects taken into custody after hours-long standoff with Lexington police
Two kidnapping suspects from Minnesota barricaded themselves inside a Lexington home for several hours Tuesday evening before ultimately surrendering to authorities, according to police.
Zachariah Whitehead, 28, and Amanda Wamack, 28, were arrested on felony kidnapping charges out of Minnesota, according to Lexington police. They’re being held at the Fayette County Detention Center.
According to a press release from the Savage Police Department, based out of Scott County in Minnesota, on Jan. 12 Whitehead and Wamack’s 7-week-old infant was brought to an emergency room with injuries. After speaking with Whitehead and Wamack, child protection services wanted the child placed on a safety hold in the care of another family member.
The child was ultimately placed under the care of its grandmother, Savage police said.
Four days later, Whitehead and Wamack took the child and left town. Savage police said the grandmother did not agree to the terms of the care for the infant and rescinded her role as the caregiver for the state.
Investigators determined that Whitehead and Wamack were last seen towing a U-Haul trailer in St. Paul and Chicago after fleeing town, according to Savage police. That trailer was later spotted on the 300 block of Tangley Way in Lexington and local authorities were alerted.
As Lexington police attempted to make contact with Whitehead and Wamack, the couple refused to exit the home and a standoff began shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to Savage police.
The emergency response unit was called out to the scene to negotiate with Whitehead and Wamack, according to Lt. Daniel Truex with the Lexington Police Department. The negotiations lasted for several hours until they surrendered around 11:12 p.m.
The infant was at the home during the incident and safely taken into protective custody afterwards, according to Truex.
It’s unlikely Whitehead and Wamack will face charges from the standoff, according to Truex.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 12:32 PM.
