HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Hillsborough County man was charged Thursday after he allegedly kidnapped a 3-year-old during a supervised visit, according to the sheriff’s office.
Kelley Bell, 49, was visiting his 3-year-old child on Monday with a court-mandated monitor. The monitor briefly stepped into another room and Bell allegedly took the child and drove off in a vehicle without an assigned license plate, deputies said.
Bell left his phone behind and bought a pre-paid phone, in addition to hiding the child’s location from his mother and the Department of Children and Families for more than 24 hours, according to the sheriff’s office.
A missing child alert was issued Tuesday.
The child was returned to his mother by an unknown person on Tuesday night, deputies said.
Bell is charged with kidnapping interfere with government or political function, according to the sheriff’s office.
This is an ongoing investigation.
