Atwater prison employee arrested for allegedly kidnapping boy

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Merced police have arrested an employee of a federal prison for allegedly kidnapping a boy.

Police say 50-year-old Earl Stokes, who works at the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, might face charges of kidnapping, criminal threats, child endangerment, reckless driving, assault, and battery.

Stokes is the husband of a Merced police officer.

According to police, on Tuesday, a group of children were walking through a Merced neighborhood when at least one of them kicked the front door of a home.

Stokes, who learned about it but was neither the victim of the original incident nor knew about which of the children kicked the door, chased the kids down in his vehicle.

He found them in Davenport Park and ordered them to stop or they would be shot.

One boy complied with his order. Police say Stokes grabbed that boy, causing visible injuries, ordered him to climb into the bed of his truck, and forcibly took him to the home where the door was kicked.

Stokes was not in a law enforcement uniform at the time and did not know the boys he confronted.

A witness saw what happened that day and reported it to police.

After an investigation by Merced PD, Stokes turned himself in to police on Wednesday, and has been booked into the Merced County Jail.

Deborah Bennett is an attorney representing the boy's family.

"We have a child here who had a horrific event happen. His family is going through trauma as well. All of the children who witnessed this will be going through trauma," she said.

She says the boy and his family received backlash on social media when they shared their story and were relieved to learn that Stokes had turned himself in almost a month later.

Merced police are urging anyone with any information about this incident to contact Detective Lupian at (209)385-7844 or by email at lupianc@cityofmerced.org.