A mother in Santa Ana, California, was left shaken last month after a woman posing as a social worker showed up on her door and demanded she relinquish custody of her newborn baby. The mother knew better, and after demanding identification (which was denied), she shut the door on the woman and immediately reported her. The story was so shocking, it made national headlines. And yet, it wasn't the first incident of its kind — nor would it be the last. This week, a mother in Washington state was faced with the same bizarre situation, after two people claiming to be Child Protection Services workers tried to "snatch" her 4-year-old son in broad daylight.
The terrifying incident happened on Monday, when Jessi McCombs got a knock on a door she wasn't expecting.
Standing on the front steps of her home in Marysville, Washington, were a man and a woman dressed in professional clothing, she told KIRO-TV. And they had an outrageous claim.
"[The woman] said she was with CPS and that she was there about my son's injuries and that they were to take him into protective custody," McCombs said.
Knowing that her son didn't have any such injuries and that the whole story didn't seem to make sense, McCombs says her first thought was that the "social workers" merely had the wrong house.
But apparently, not so.
That's when they repeated their claim and stated the first name of McCombs' son, as well as his birth date, as confirmation.
Floored, McCombs continued to ask questions.
"I asked her, 'Can you show me some identification?'" she recalled. "'Can you show me this order that you supposedly have?'"
But if she was looking for answers, she didn't get any. "She refused to show me that," McCombs told KIRO.
This set off alarm bells for McCombs, who did the only thing she could think to do to scare them off: She dialed 911.
"These people were potentially trying to just snatch my kid, so I started panicking," McCombs recalled.
To her relief, however, her tactic worked.
"She said, 'We'll come back later,' and they left in a hurry down the stairs," the mother said.
Still, brief as it was, the whole incident left her understandably rattled. It also shines further light on a growing rash of incidents involving fake CPS agents showing up on doorsteps in cities across the US.
While authorities continue to investigate the case, they are also reminding the public to stay vigilant and know the process for actual CPS workers.
"In situations where a child must be removed from their home, DCYF staff are accompanied by law enforcement," the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families said in a statement to KIRO. "DCYF staff always carry agency identification and cannot remove a child from their home without a court order signed by a judge or by law enforcement taking a child into custody per RCW 26.44.050."
A police department spokesperson added that it's always a good idea to check for photo ID from any individual who is unknown before allowing them to enter your home. And if you're still feeling uneasy about it, don't ignore your gut.
"If in doubt, call the office of who they are saying they represent and ask for confirmation," the spokesperson shared. "If you're still not satisfied, call 911 or the non-emergency number and ask for an officer to come out and check credentials."
