A Mahanoy City woman has been charged with interfering with custody of children as a result of an incident that occurred on July 31 in the parking lot of McDonald’s, 9 Lincoln Drive, Hometown, Rush Township.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by patrolman Melissa Shaffer of the Rush Township Police Department in the case against Kaitlyn Youmans:

Township police said they were summoned by the father of a 2-year-old girl who has legal custody of the child.

The father said that Youmans, 22, his ex-wife and mother of the child, has visiting rights and said that he was meeting her at McDonald’s so she could be able to visit with the girl.

He said that when he and Youmans were in the parking lot, Youmans walked away with the child, placed her in Youmans’ vehicle, and then left the scene with the child.

He said that after he realized that she had absconded with the child, he contacted Youmans, who said that she would bring the child back to him at 9 p.m.

The father contacted police to get his daughter back.

Police asked the Mahanoy City Police to contact Youmans at her residence.

An officer from the Mahanoy City Police said that Youmans is currently living in the Sheppton area.

When police contacted Youmans, she said she has full custody of the child, then recanted, saying the father had told her that she could have the child until Aug. 12.

Youmans was asked where she was staying and she stated Mahanoy City, but would not give the address.

On Aug. 3 Rush Township Police Chief Kenneth Zipovsky called Youmans and she said believes that the father “horribly abused” her child and stated that the child had bruises and dog bite wounds, and that the child was seen at the hospital nine times within the last 30 days.

The Schuylkill County Office of Children and Youth Services said there has been no evidence of the father abusing the child. The office did not have any records or information verifying that the child was medically treated nine times in the last month.

Police said a review of records maintained by a Schuylkill County Court office indicates there is an order regarding this matter. In June, a hearing was held by Judge James P. Goodman in Schuylkill County Juvenile Court, who issued an order that provided for the legal and physical custody of the child to be transferred to the father.

An arrest warrant was executed Tuesday with the assistance of the Mahanoy City Police Department.

The child was reunited with her father.

Youmans was arraigned by District Judge Stephen Bayer of Tamaqua, and was released on $25,000 unsecured bail.

Youmans is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing before Bayer on Sept. 15.