By William Thornton
al.com
IDER, Ala. — A traffic stop in DeKalb County turned up a child reported missing from Pennsylvania.
And the officer responsible was the son of TV’s Dog the Bounty Hunter, on his first day as a certified patrolman.
That’s according to Ider Police Chief Stephen Malone.
“Being able to make the call to this boy’s guardian, letting them know he’s safe and on his way home, is one the most rewarding parts of this job,” Malone said in a statement.
Ider police say Amanda Beiland, 37, of Ider, has been charged with interference with child custody. She also has a previous charge for chemical endangerment of a child, Malone said.
She was booked into the DeKalb County Jail this morning. Bond has not yet been set.
According to Malone, the officer who stopped Beiland found a boy in the car.
The officer, Garry Chapman, is the son of Duane Chapman, otherwise known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, who earned fame for an A&E series that chronicled his life as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman.
A check uncovered that the boy had been reported missing for more than a week from Scranton, Penn.
The child will be transported back to his guardian, Malone said.
“Cases like these are very serious, and to know that this juvenile was missing from over eight hundred miles and five states away is extremely concerning to me,” Malone said. “Juveniles are very gullible and that’s exactly why there are legal procedures in place to keep this from happening. The safety of children is (of) the utmost importance to us, regardless if they live within the community or even eight hundred miles away.”
Duane Chapman was in Alabama earlier this month to celebrate Garry Chapman’s graduation Aug. 10 from the Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy.
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