Police say Petersen is being commended for his investigative skills and commitment to making the township a safer place.
The Evesham Township Police Department has named officer Dave Petersen as “Officer of the Month” for March.
Petersen has been a member of the Evesham Police Department for 12 years, and police say Petersen is being commended for his investigative skills and commitment to making the township a safer place.
On March 27, Petersen responded to a neighborhood inside the Kings Grant development for a disturbance involving four adults and a small child.
Through Petersen’s investigation, police say it was learned that three females attempted to kidnap a child that one of them had in common with a male.
According to police, the child was living with the male in Marlton, and the child’s mother and two of her friends orchestrated a plan to travel from Philadelphia to illegally take possession of the young child.
While the male was walking with his child, police say two of the females, both unknown to the male, drove by the male and drew his attention to them by asking him for directions. While he was distracted, police say the child’s mother attempted to physically remove the child from the stroller and place the child in a car.
According to police, the male became aware of what was occurring at that time and took hold of his daughter. Police later arrived and the child was safely removed from the situation and all parties were separated.
Police say a detailed investigation and interviews by Petersen revealed the three females had planned to kidnap the infant.
According to police, the female parent was charged with criminal attempt-kidnapping, while the two female accomplices were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Police say all females were lodged in Burlington County Jail.
