Now that was fast. A surveillance camera screenshot was put out to the public, and Billings Police very quickly found the kidnapping and stolen vehicle suspect...and the children unharmed.
Somewhere around 5 a.m. Monday morning I was prepping for my radio show in the Montana Talks studio at the top floor of the Doubletree when Mark Wilson of Cat Country pops in. "We just saw the Billings Police ram a vehicle across the street from the hotel," he told me.
Funded by donations, Billings' Shop With a Cop children get an experience they'll remember forever, including a $350 shopping trip with a positive role model.
After hearing our coverage on the youth violence taking place in Montana, one Billings mom decided to share her heartbreaking and frustrating story. Her open letter is below.
Why are we seeing gang activity in a state like Montana? What role do the Mexican drug cartels play? We caught up with Stacy Zinn who recently retired as the head of the DEA here in Montana.
What's driving the gang violence in a place like Billings, Montana? Where did some of those downtown transients go? How bad is it getting? Is there any good news when it comes to public safety in Montana's biggest town? We tackled that and more with the police chief and a couple council members.
BREAKING: A suspect has reportedly barricaded themselves in a residence on West Meadow Drive. King Ave West between 32nd and 36th is currently closed (as of 7:30 am Wednesday)