Woman wanted in kidnapping arrested in Olympia

By Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published October 06, 2008

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A woman wanted in Independence, Mo., for kidnapping her four noncustodial children was arrested at an Olympia hotel Sunday afternoon, according to the Olympia Police Department.

Shirley A. Riggs, 39, was spotted at the Holly Motel, 2816 Martin Way, about 3 p.m., said Olympia police Sgt. Jim Partin. An employee at the hotel recognized Riggs and the children from CNN reports and called 9-1-1.

Officers confronted Riggs in the parking lot of the hotel as she was getting into her car, Partin said.

After giving false information to the officers, she took off running up Martin Way and dove under a car in a dental clinic parking lot on Pattison Street, police said.

She was arrested and booked into the Thurston County Jail, and her children — ages 7, 10, 12 and 15 — are in protective custody, Partin said.

Riggs triggered an Amber Alert after she allegedly failed to return her children to the Division of Family Services last month after an unsupervised overnight visit, according to The Kansas City Star.

Authorities said it was the fourth time Riggs had left the state with the children, the newspaper reported.

Independence police plan a news conference for Monday.