Sheriff says the children, 11 and 12, were fishing when the encounter escalated.
PALATKA, FL — A 68-year-old Palatka woman is accused of kidnapping two preteen boys at gunpoint after confronting them while they fished near a neighborhood pond, authorities said. Investigators said she forced the boys into her car and drove them to an apartment complex before they got away.
Baby Hamilton is charged with two counts of kidnapping of a minor and two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said. Sheriff Gator DeLoach called the allegations alarming and said the case moved quickly from a dispute over possible trespassing to a felony investigation. Deputies said the boys were not physically injured, but the incident prompted a response that included interviews with parents and children and a search warrant at Hamilton’s home. Hamilton was being held in the Putnam County jail without bond.
Investigators said the case began Tuesday afternoon when the boys, ages 11 and 12, were fishing near a pond behind an apartment complex. One boy’s mother told a deputy she received a phone call from her son at about 5:03 p.m. and could hear a woman shouting about trespassing and fishing on private property. The mother tried to speak to her son, but the call cut off, the arrest report said. About 10 minutes later, the boy, his cousin and Hamilton arrived at the family’s apartment, the report said. The mother said Hamilton told her the children were trespassing and that she planned to speak with the property manager. After Hamilton left, the boy told his mother that Hamilton had pointed a small silver gun at them and forced them into her car, authorities said.
Deputies said both children described being questioned about who they were and where they lived. The boys told investigators they gave false information because they did not know Hamilton and were scared, according to the report. DeLoach said the situation showed how quickly fear can take over when an adult confronts children with a weapon. “The second-amendment gives us the right to bear arms and to protect ourselves,” DeLoach said. “It doesn’t however, give us the right to be careless and victimize children.” The children said Hamilton grabbed one of them by the shirt while holding the gun and used that to force him into the car. They told deputies they sat in the backseat while Hamilton drove with the handgun on her lap, and that she refused to let them leave on their bike and scooter even after they asked to go home.
The children said that once Hamilton drove into their apartment complex, she put the handgun into the glove compartment, and the boys ran home when they got out of the car, investigators said. Deputies interviewed both boys and spoke with both mothers, who corroborated the basic timeline, the report said. DeLoach said the facts described by deputies fit the elements of a serious felony. “That’s armed kidnapping all day long on a child under 13,” he said. In interviews with deputies, Hamilton offered a different explanation, according to the report. She told investigators she was worried the boys could drown in the pond and said she intended to take them to law enforcement, which she said was why she told them to get into the car. Deputies wrote that Hamilton changed parts of her story when questioned about details.
Authorities said the investigation did not end with the children’s account. Deputies obtained and executed a search warrant at Hamilton’s home, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators reported finding a gray Walther P-22 .22-caliber handgun and a magazine loaded with eight bullets. Deputies said Hamilton told them she owned a small gray handgun and claimed she had only used it once to see if she knew how it worked. Investigators said the firearm matched the description the children gave. Body camera video from the arrest showed deputies placing Hamilton in handcuffs, according to local reporting. DeLoach said the incident was an example of why residents should call law enforcement rather than escalate a dispute themselves, even if they believe someone is on private property.
Neighbors in the townhome complex told local reporters they were shocked by the allegations and worried by how easily a children’s outing could turn into a police case. “They are children. Why would you try to take somebody’s child at gunpoint?” neighbor Vontiece Cohens said in an interview. Another neighbor, Shaquanna Brantley, said the situation should not have reached that point. DeLoach also described the boys as children who appeared to be spending a normal afternoon outside after school. “Unknown to me, neither one of them had any idea or suspicion that they would be kidnapped and held at gunpoint,” he said. He added that the boys were simply enjoying time outdoors and that, in a community where fishing is common, the confrontation could have been handled with calm conversation instead of threats.
The sheriff said homeowners can report trespassing, but he criticized what investigators say happened next. “There is a right way and a wrong way to do that,” DeLoach said, arguing that calling deputies is the safest route when a resident believes someone is on private property. He said Hamilton could have addressed the situation without a weapon and without forcing the children into her vehicle. DeLoach suggested an alternative that focused on contacting parents and setting boundaries, saying she could have offered the boys a snack or drink and then brought them to their families to talk about where they were fishing. Investigators also said they believed the boys did not realize they were on private property and likely did not understand what that meant. The case, DeLoach said, was a reminder that misunderstandings involving children can escalate quickly when adults respond with force.
Hamilton remained jailed without bond as of Sunday, and investigators have not publicly detailed when she is expected to make her next court appearance. Deputies said she faces four felony counts tied to the confrontation and the drive that followed. Authorities have not identified the boys because they are minors, and no additional injuries were reported. The sheriff’s office said the case remains active as prosecutors review the evidence gathered from witness statements, the reported body camera video and the firearm recovered during the search.
Author note: Last updated February 22, 2026.