Six-year-old Liam Malburg has been found safe after being missing for around a week, following a high-speed police chase in Wyoming that ended in the arrest of his mother, Marisa Calliea, who did not have custody of the boy and was allegedly attempting to smuggle him across state lines from Michigan.
A mother has been arrested after fleeing from police in a high-speed chase while allegedly smuggling her six-year-old son across state lines, having kidnapped him roughly a week earlier. Marisa Calliea, 30, was arrested on Monday in southwest Wyoming after travelling from Michigan with her son, Liam Malburg. Calliea did not have custody of Liam and had been expected to return him to his father, Justin Malburg, the previous Thursday. Malburg thanked God for an anonymous tip that ultimately led to his son being found, sharing his relief in a Facebook post.
How the tip led police to the boy
According to a probable-cause affidavit cited by Cowboy State Daily, the tip led officers to a GMC Terrain parked in a Walmart car park, where the situation quickly escalated. Police Officer Nikoli Knezovich responded to a report that Liam had been spotted at the Walmart just before 10am on Monday, with the caller providing a detailed description of the SUV involved.
Knezovich located the 2014 grey GMC and waited around 30 minutes before Calliea and Liam emerged from the store. When he approached her, Calliea allegedly gave a false name for both herself and her son, telling the officer her name was Maria Peters and that the boy was named Will, according to the outlet.
The chase
When Knezovich attempted to check the names, Calliea reportedly got into the GMC and started the engine. The officer ordered her out of the vehicle, and she initially complied, before jumping back in and speeding off through the car park.
According to the affidavit, Knezovich pursued Calliea as she drove at speeds of up to 40mph close to shoppers directly in front of the store. Once she reached the main road, she reportedly accelerated further, running a red light and driving the wrong way down a one-way street with her son still in the vehicle. At one point, she is said to have cut off another driver before hitting an intersection at such high speed that the SUV went airborne. Despite this, Calliea continued attempting to flee, managing only a short additional distance before finally coming to a stop. She was pulled from the vehicle and arrested.
Both Calliea and Liam were examined by medical personnel at the scene after the car’s airbags deployed during the chase.
Reunion with his father
Liam was subsequently returned to his father, who expressed his gratitude for the community’s help in a Facebook post. “I seriously can’t thank you all enough, the amount of people who reached out, shared the flyer, reported tips… is just astonishing,” Malburg wrote. He added: “And to the one woman behind the scenes who knows who she is, absolutely none of this would have been possible without you.”
Charges against Calliea
Calliea faces multiple charges, including child endangerment, interference with a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless driving, and driving while her licence was cancelled, suspended or revoked. Officers reportedly found 2.35 grams of suspected marijuana inside the GMC.
Background on the alleged kidnapping
According to the affidavit, the SUV belonged to Calliea’s stepfather, who told officers that Calliea had called him saying she was having issues with Malburg. She reportedly claimed that Liam’s father had choked her and that she did not feel safe. Her stepfather told investigators he had given her money for a trip, but said he did not know her intended destination.
According to Cowboy State Daily, Calliea remains in custody at the Uinta County Detention Center.
