How a mom with a gun stopped an attempted kidnapping of her son in a Des Moines skywalk

A mother drew a gun to drive off two people who were trying to abduct her son in a Des Moines skywalk outside her office, according to police reports.

Shay Lindberg, manager of the Hubbell Tower Apartments, was armed when Laurie Potter, 56, and Michael Ross, 43, allegedly tried to take the child Jan. 5.

According to an incident report, the incident occurred at 904 Walnut St. in downtown Des Moines, where the skywalk passes through the Hubbell Tower Apartments building. Potter and Ross are charged with felony child stealing.

Lindberg did not know Potter and Ross, who are homeless, according to a report. She was in her office getting ready to leave when she saw Potter and Ross walking back and forth in front of her door. Potter was waving at her son.

Thinking they just wanted to apply for a job, Lindberg decided to leave.

That's when Potter started telling Lindberg to give her back her son and crouched down to the child, saying she was his real mother, according to the report. Potter said the boy's real father was Thor, then grabbed the child by the arm and started to run away, the report said.

Lindberg pulled out her gun and told the two to leave the building.

Lindberg could not be reached for comment.

"In this case, the display of a handgun had the desired effect, and a mother was able to protect her child," Des Moines spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek said.

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Skywalk security guard helped track suspects

Will Hunter, a site supervisor with Per Mar Security Services who patrols the skywalk, told the Register he got a call around 4:30 p.m. Jan. 5 from Lindberg. He and his partner reached the scene in less than 5 minutes.

Earlier that morning, Hunter said he came across Ross sitting with Potter and smoking a cigarette near Bank of America in the skywalk. Hunter took a picture of Ross smoking that was later used to identify him.

He said he noticed Potter because she had been repeatedly trying to set up camp inside the skywalk the past week.

After the incident, Hunter said he saw Potter and Ross appearing "super agitated."

Hunter followed the two as they left the skywalk until Des Moines police officers arrived, watching as they took off east on DART's D-Line bus. Officials were able to get the bus rerouted so that officers could arrest them.

"It was an ideal outcome. At the end of the day, the kid is safe," Hunter said. "Shay used a legal concealed carry as a deterrent and no shots were fired, no mess."

Potter and Ross were arrested nearby and taken to Polk County Jail. Each was held on a $50,000 cash bond. A no-contact order was issued barring Potter and Ross from having contact with the child.

"This incident, and other recent events involving self-defense with a firearm, should send a strong message to criminals. The risk of being seriously injured or killed while committing a crime is very real," Parizek said.

A preliminary hearing for Potter and Ross is set for 8 a.m. Friday.

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'Concrete compassion' guides security's interactions with homeless individuals in skywalk

Hunter said people don't get kicked out of the skywalk system unless they are doing something "egregious" such as smoking indoors or trying to set up camp.

He said he tries to reach out to homeless individuals and provide them with resources for shelter and food.

Hunter said a common misconception is the skywalk is like a mall, where security can kick out people or deny entry, but unless someone is breaking the law, security personnel can't ask anyone to leave.

Instead, Hunter said he keeps an extensive record of those in the homeless community who cause trouble and are chronic offenders, trying to hold them accountable after the fact.

"What we're doing now is kind of a middle ground that I'm hoping everyone attaches to," he said. "I call it concrete compassion, where we're gonna be sympathetic and we're going out of our way to get you to the place you can actually have resources to fix your situation."

For those who may be concerned for their safety in the skywalk, Hunter said free 24-hour escorts are available to walk people to their car, and "all building managers and property managers have skywalk's 24/7 number."

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Des Moines Register reporter Francesca Block contributed to this report.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter at @NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How an armed mother fought off child abduction in Des Moines skywalk