Woman faces kidnapping, resisting charges after preschool incident,
A woman was arrested Monday outside a preschool in downtown Sonora, where she was accused of trying to coax children from a playground, climbing a fence to try to get to the children, and struggling with a police officer to try to take the officer’s firearm.
About 9 a.m. Monday, the Sonora Police Department received a call about a woman trying to climb over the playground fence at the preschool. Staff at the preschool put the school on lockdown before police arrived.
The preschool where the incident occurred was identified in the police department’s daily logs as Kountry Kids Preschool at 229 S. Shepherd St.
A news release put out by the department on Wednesday said the first police officer on scene got into a struggle with the woman, who refused to follow the officer’s commands. She tried to take the officer’s firearm during the confrontation and was eventually taken into custody, the release said.
The officer involved was later treated at a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening, the release said.
Sonora police praised the preschool staff and their reaction to the situation as it unfolded. A preschool administrator could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
“We believe this is an isolated incident and we do not believe there is any further threat to other students or schools,” said Officer Thomas Brickley on Wednesday.
Brickley said there was no other information he could share Wednesday aside from the release in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Stephanie Grimaldi, who was identified in the release as a 38-yearold transient, was arrested and booked into Tuolumne County Jail on suspicion of attempted kidnapping; resisting arrest with violence; attempting to take a police officer’s firearm; interfering with radio transmissions; providing a false ID to a police officer; and prowling.