A California mom and former social media influencer has been convicted of lying about an attempted kidnapping that occurred in late December 2020. Katie Sorenson went viral with a story claiming a couple tried to take her children from a Michaels craft store parking lot in Petaluma, California, while she loaded her car. Although the video quickly spread, many were initially skeptical of the mother's story.
The since-deleted videos about the alleged kidnapping amassed millions of views and garnered Sorenson thousands of followers on her now inactive Instagram account @motherhoodessentials_. But after telling what prosecutors say was a tall tale and making what was now deemed a false police report, Sorenson is no longer an influencer but a criminal facing jail time.
More From CafeMom: This Video of Kids Running in a Parking Lot Strapped to Their Car Seats Has Parents Divided
The mother said the story was hard to tell.
In her viral video, which many people had captured before the original was deleted, Sorenson said the reported attempted kidnapping was hard to vocalize. But she said she felt it was important to share her story with others.
"I think right now, we are so distracted by everything that's going on in the world that we kind of have our guard up so much about masks and wanting to keep children safe that way, that we're forgetting the most important way to keep them safe, and that is with us — to not let them be taken," she said in the video.
She explained that she and her children made a quick trip to Michaels to grab two items. Per her usual habit, she parked her car far away from the door so as not to disturb other drivers with her double stroller. She claimed things took a dark turn when she entered the store.
She said that a couple made her uncomfortable.
Sorenson claimed Sadie Vega-Martinez and her husband, Eddie Martinez, followed her around the store and to her car, then attempted to kidnap her children and put them in a white van. She said she began to scream in the parking lot, and the couple took off.
In a later interview with KTUV, she said she wished she had acted sooner.
"I saw these people, they didn't look necessarily clean-cut," she shared. "I felt uncomfortable around them, and instead of making them uncomfortable with my discomfort, I chose to remain in my discomfort."
After the couple left, Sorenson went to the Petaluma Police Department, where she reported the incident. This is where the trouble began.
Police identified the Martinezes from store surveillance.
After she described the couple to the police, officers looked at the video and ultimately located them. At the time, they cooperated with the police, but their story was not the same as the frightened mother's tale.
Police did not want to make any inferences about who was telling the truth or who wasn't, so they asked the public to refrain from making judgments. Authorities needed to work out inconsistencies before filing charges against the couple. The Martinezes were ultimately deemed innocent.
Sadie Vega-Martinez posted her account on social media, defending her innocence. She claimed she and her husband were shopping for a nativity set at the store and did not interact with Sorenson. The court believed her.
From the start, followers on social media didn't buy Sorenson's story.
Sorenson's video was an instant sensation. In interviews with multiple media outlets, she continuously told her story. But it didn't add up for many who thought she was lying.
“Katie Sorenson lied!!! Get the facts before speaking on attempted kidnapping," read one tweet. "Those are serious accusations to make on people!!."
"Her mannerisms shout out that she's lying. Look at the smile that continues to creep across her mouth as she continues to speak," someone else tweeted.
Some even believed she was using the story to gain followers.
"So you go to social media … for what purpose really?" one person asked. "This has about .01 percent credibility to it … preposterous."
"Pretty quick way to get from 6,000 followers to 80k, huh?" tweeted someone else.
More From CafeMom: I Stopped Paying for My Daughter's Phone & Internet After She Badmouthed Me on TikTok
Sorenson got herself in deep ,and now she has to face the consequences.
Initially, Sorenson was charged with three misdemeanors for making false reports of a crime: one to a police dispatcher, another to a police officer on December 7, 2020, and a third a week later to a police detective, CBS News reported. The court acquitted Sorenson on the first two counts and convicted her of the third for the statement made to the detective.
Sadie Vega-Martinez told Elle magazine she is happy with the verdict and feels vindicated. "After [Sorensen] avoided accountability for years, and then hearing she was found guilty and walked out in handcuffs … yes, justice was served," she said. "I feel like it's a step in the right direction for my family. I'm grateful for the support."
Sorenson's lawyer, Charles Dubrow, told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, "The verdict of not guilty as to counts one and two rejects the theory that my client lied to the police on Dec. 7. The jury reviewed the actual evidence and found it to be very different than how the case has been portrayed outside the courtroom. We are disappointed as to count three and will evaluate our options moving forward."
Sorenson was immediately taken into custody, and a judge set her bail at $100,000. She faces up to six months behind bars. The court did not select a sentencing date.
