Mother of abducted child speaks about violated court order

SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) – A toddler from South Milwaukee was rescued Tuesday night after police say she was kidnapped by her father, who does not have legal custody of her.

Authorities say Kenneth Brown fled the state with his 2-year-old daughter, Kendra Faith Brown. He refused to pull over for police in Illinois and was able to get away.

Brown was finally stopped in Indiana.

CBS 58 spoke with Mindy Finch, mother of Kendra, over the phone as she was on her way to pick up her daughter from Indiana’s Child Protective Services.

Fighting back tears she questioned where Brown was headed since she doesn’t know of any family or friends that live in that area.

Police say Brown was finally stopped in a high speed chase going more than 90 mph at times. He was taken into custody early Wednesday, but not before police say he threatened to take his own child’s life.

“I don’t know why he would threaten his own baby with putting a knife to her neck,” says an emotion Finch.

According to Finch, it all began Tuesday evening when Brown violated a no contact order showing up at the family’s South Milwaukee home.

“He had gotten into the house,” explained Finch. “And when I told him he needed to leave, that I was going to call the cops on him; he picked up my 2-year-old, ran out the door with her, got into my car and left.”

Finch says the no contact was ordered by a judge after Brown was charged with disorderly conduct in August.

According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to their home when Brown admitted he was going to “whoop my son with a belt”.

Police say Brown resisted arrest while he was “still holding his 2-year-old daughter.”

“He’s mentally unstable and I never know what’s going to come,” says Finch.

Finch feels this latest attack could have been avoided if getting restraining orders was not so difficult.

“I’ve been trying for 2-3 years to get a restraining order so that we couldn’t be bothered by him no more,” explains Finch. “But I can’t because he doesn’t beat us.”

And now she fears how all of this will affect her family.

“I know it hurts my 3-year-old a lot,” Finch explained through tears. “They’re like little best friends, and the only thing he knew was that his sister wasn’t there, papa took her and ran.”

The couple has four children together.

Brown was scheduled for a court hearing on tomorrow (Thursday, October 18) for the complaint in August, but we’re told he’s still in an Indiana hospital.