A frantic, fast-moving scene inside the Oklahoma County Courthouse ended with deputies tackling what investigators are calling an attempted kidnapping – an incident authorities told KFOR’s Tanner DeLeon was so unusual it landed in the “craziest cases” category for them.
Tanner DeLeon reported that deputies arrested a woman accused of trying to take a 2-year-old child from the child’s mother inside the courthouse, in broad daylight, with people nearby and cameras rolling.
Because it happened inside the courthouse, deputies were close enough to respond almost immediately. Tanner DeLeon said authorities believe they stopped it in under a minute, which may have made all the difference.
That “under a minute” detail matters. In most kidnapping cases, seconds vanish fast, distance grows fast, and options shrink fast.
Here, the location itself – secure, staffed, and full of law enforcement – became the reason the situation didn’t spiral into something even worse.
“She Seemed To Think The Child Was Hers”
The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office described the incident to Tanner DeLeon as bizarre, and spokesperson Aaron Brilbeck gave the explanation investigators believe fits the suspect’s behavior.
“It was kind of strange because she seemed to be under the impression that the child was her child,” Brilbeck told Tanner DeLeon in the KFOR report.
That line doesn’t excuse anything, but it explains why this didn’t look like a typical “planned abduction” case, at least based on what authorities said publicly so far.
Brilbeck told Tanner DeLeon the mother was inside the courthouse “doing the business that she had to do” when, out of nowhere, a stranger approached, grabbed the 2-year-old, and tried to take off.
You can feel the chaos in the way officials described it. It wasn’t a slow, quiet situation. It was sudden, physical, and confrontational.
And it happened in one of the last places a parent would expect someone to try it.
A Mother’s Instincts And A Loud, Public Fight Back
One detail Tanner DeLeon emphasized is that the child’s mother didn’t freeze. She reacted.
Brilbeck told Tanner DeLeon the mother “started making a lot of noise” and “got in the woman’s face,” and that she ultimately got her daughter back as deputies closed in.
That’s the kind of raw, unplanned response that can disrupt an abduction attempt. Noise draws attention. Confrontation breaks momentum. People look up. Security reacts.
It also takes courage, because when a stranger grabs your child, you don’t know what they’re capable of. You don’t know if they’re armed. You don’t know if they’re unstable. You just know you have to act.
In the body camera footage described by Tanner DeLeon, deputies arrive while the situation is still hot. The child is audibly upset, and the adults are talking over each other.
If there’s a grim lesson in this, it’s that a parent’s “scene” can be a survival tool. Quiet compliance is what a predator hopes for. Loud resistance forces the environment to respond.
Deputies Arrive, And The Situation Escalates
Tanner DeLeon reported that when deputies made contact with the mother and the suspect, they tried to calm things down, but the encounter escalated quickly.
In the KFOR video, the tension spikes almost immediately. Deputies are asking questions, the mother is demanding her child back, and the suspect appears to insist the child belongs to her.
This is where it becomes more than a “mistake” or “confusion.” If someone insists a child is theirs while the real parent is right there, and the child is clearly distressed, that’s a flashing warning light.
In the bodycam posted by OKC LIVE – video credited to the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office – the mother explains what she says happened: she and her husband were looking for a vending machine when the woman “came and tried to take my daughter.”
The mother says she’s pregnant and couldn’t lift her child fast enough, and she describes the suspect getting aggressive “all over my face,” even trying to bite her.
That’s not a simple misunderstanding. That’s an unsafe, physical confrontation involving a toddler.
The OKC LIVE bodycam also captures the suspect repeatedly demanding the child, telling deputies, “Please, you’re my daughter,” while others insist the child doesn’t know her.
In moments like that, deputies have to make quick calls. They’re not just sorting out a dispute. They’re protecting a child in real time.
“Is This Miss French?” A Familiar Face To Deputies
One of the most striking details Tanner DeLeon highlighted came from what deputies said on camera.
In the footage, an officer can be heard asking, “Is this Miss French?” – a question that signals recognition, not curiosity.
Tanner DeLeon reported the suspect was identified as Tatiyana French, and according to Brilbeck, she’s “no stranger” to the Sheriff’s Office.
Brilbeck told Tanner DeLeon deputies have dealt with her in the past “unfortunately,” and that they were able to take her into custody without incident.
That’s an important point. The situation may have been chaotic, but deputies say the arrest itself didn’t turn into an injury event.
And it also hints at a bigger issue: when someone has repeated contacts with police, it can sometimes point to deeper struggles – substance issues, untreated mental illness, instability, or a cycle that keeps repeating because nothing is truly fixed.
Brilbeck’s comment to Tanner DeLeon leaned into that theme when he said they were hoping French “gets the help she needs.”
That line tells you law enforcement may be looking at this as not only a criminal matter, but also a person-in-crisis situation that keeps resurfacing.
Charges And A Second Allegation In The Chaos
Tanner DeLeon reported that no one was hurt during the incident, but authorities say French still faces multiple charges.
Brilbeck told Tanner DeLeon the alleged attempted kidnapping is the central accusation.
But Tanner DeLeon also reported an additional alleged act in the middle of the chaos: authorities say French took and broke the mother’s iPad.
According to the details shared with Tanner DeLeon, the suspect faces charges that include kidnapping, obstructing an officer, and robbery tied to the iPad allegation.
That part matters because it changes the picture from “attempted child grab” to “attempted child grab plus property taken and destroyed.” It suggests the moment wasn’t just panicked—it was disruptive and potentially retaliatory.
And in a courthouse, where people are often already stressed – custody hearings, protective orders, criminal cases – this kind of eruption is like lighting a match in a room full of gasoline fumes.
Why This Happening In A Courthouse Is So Disturbing
This is my honest reaction: the courthouse factor makes this story hit harder.
People walk into courthouses expecting rules, metal detectors, cameras, uniforms, structure. It’s supposed to be the place where chaos gets controlled, not the place where it begins.
Tanner DeLeon’s report highlights that deputies were able to stop it quickly because it happened inside the courthouse. That’s true, and it’s reassuring.
But it’s also unsettling, because it suggests that even in a controlled environment, a determined – or unstable – person can still get hands on a child in an instant.
If this had happened in a parking lot, a grocery store aisle, or a playground, the distance to law enforcement might have been much greater. The outcome might have been worse.
So in a strange way, this incident is both a warning and a small example of what rapid response can do.
The Human Side That Doesn’t Show Up In Court Records
Brilbeck told Tanner DeLeon, “I can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been” for the mother to have a stranger grab her child.
That’s not a throwaway quote. That’s the emotional center of this story.
Even if the child is physically fine, that moment can stick. The mother’s nervous system doesn’t just reset because deputies arrived. It replays. It spikes again when she walks into public buildings. It changes how tightly she holds her kid’s hand.
And it’s not only the mother. Everyone who witnessed it – a clerk, a deputy, a random person waiting in line – takes that memory home too.
That’s why, in my view, the “no one was hurt” line should be treated carefully. Nobody may have needed an ambulance, but harm isn’t always blood.
Sometimes harm is a parent replaying a stranger’s hands grabbing their child, over and over, at 2 a.m.
What Happens Next
Tanner DeLeon reported that deputies arrested Tatiyana French and that she faces several charges tied to what authorities say happened inside the courthouse.
The case will now move through the same system where the incident occurred, which is another layer of irony. The courthouse was the setting, the intervention point, and now it will be the stage for accountability.
Meanwhile, the OKC LIVE bodycam video – shared as footage credited to the Sheriff’s Office—gives the public a direct look at the intensity of the encounter, even if it doesn’t answer every question.
The big unknown is motive. Was this a delusion? A mental health crisis? Something else? Officials have hinted at concern by saying they hope she gets help, but the criminal process will still turn on evidence and intent.
For parents watching this story, the takeaway isn’t to panic. It’s to stay aware, even in places that feel “safe by default,” because bad decisions – and sometimes broken minds – don’t respect the setting.
And in this case, according to Tanner DeLeon’s reporting, quick action and a mother’s refusal to stay quiet may have prevented a terrifying moment from becoming a permanent tragedy.
Ed spent his childhood in the backwoods of Maine, where harsh winters taught him the value of survival skills. With a background in bushcraft and off-grid living, Ed has honed his expertise in fire-making, hunting, and wild foraging. He writes from personal experience, sharing practical tips and hands-on techniques to thrive in any outdoor environment. Whether it’s primitive camping or full-scale survival, Ed’s advice is grounded in real-life challenges.
