Alleged kidnapping of 93-year-old woman ends in S. Lake Tahoe
By Kimball Bennion, Great Falls Tribune
A South Dakota man accused of kidnapping his elderly mother from an assisted-living facility in Great Falls, Mont., was arrested, along with his daughter, Wednesday while trying to secure legal guardianship of his mother in South Lake Tahoe, police announced Thursday.
Great Falls Police had been searching for James Wainscoat, 70, since Saturday, when he allegedly drove away with his mother from Renaissance Senior Care at 2000 16th Ave. S. Police classified the action as kidnapping because Wainscoat did not have power of attorney for his 93-year-old mother, Troy Wainscoat, who police say has Alzheimer’s disease. One of James Wainscoat’s siblings and that sibling’s mother-in-law are the only ones who can legally make decisions for Troy Wainscoat.
Court documents state that James Wainscoat showed up at the facility with three of his children, including 18-year-old Ishayah Wainscoat. James Wainscoat told facility workers that he had gifts for his mother, which included a cake that read “Bon Voyage Grandma Troy.”
According to a charging affidavit, workers told them that they didn’t know anyone by the name of Troy Wainscoat, and Ishayah Wainscoat responded by saying: “You can’t keep me from my grandma, I need to see her.”
James Wainscoat allegedly pushed a worker out of his way and led his mother out the door, even though facility personnel said he couldn’t take her. James Wainscoat and Ishayah Wainscoat drove away, allegedly leaving Troy Wainscoat’s walker in the parking lot.