Arkansas Mother Charged After Allegedly Staging Daughter’s Fake Kidnapping to Scare Her About Online Predator

An Arkansas mother has been charged after authorities say she organized a staged kidnapping of her adult daughter in an effort to frighten the young woman away from an online contact. The alleged incident on Nov. 17 reportedly left the daughter injured and involved three other adults who participated in the staged abduction.

Allegations and Arrests

Local outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Southwest Times Record and KFSM report that 36-year-old Tamara Hamby was booked on suspicion of kidnapping and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. Three alleged accomplices—identified in reports as David Q. Quach, 26; Austria L. Nico, 22; and Shannon Jazmin Yvonne Childers, 27—face the same counts. County jail records reviewed by PEOPLE indicate all four have since been released from custody.

Family Account and Motivations

According to statements made to KFSM by Tamara's husband, Jeffrey Hamby, the family feared their 22-year-old daughter—whom Jeffrey says has the mental acuity of an 11-year-old and an auditory processing disorder—had been communicating in an online chatroom with someone claiming to be country singer Luke Bryan. The Hambys say prior efforts to stop the conversations failed, and they worried the contact intended to abduct the woman.

"He was going to get her. He was going to take her," Jeffrey told KFSM, describing the online messages. He said his wife, without his knowledge, enlisted her aide and two friends to carry out what she intended as an intervention to frighten their daughter away from the alleged predator.

What Police Say Happened

Police allege that Tamara arranged for two men to grab the woman, take her to a nearby field, tie her to a tree and leave her there. Reports say the 22-year-old suffered bruising to her wrists from zip ties used as restraints. The mother and her alleged accomplices now face criminal charges tied to the incident.

Legal Status and Next Steps

Tamara Hamby is due to appear in court on Dec. 10, according to reporting. The couple’s daughter is reportedly in the custody of the Department of Human Services. Local reporting summarized by PEOPLE indicates the case remains under investigation and that authorities have filed charges based on the allegations.

Context

The case has drawn attention because it raises complex questions about parental responsibility, the protection of adults with disabilities, and the potential criminal liability for staging interventions that place someone in harm’s way. Officials and courts will determine the legal consequences as the matter proceeds.