A single Florida mother found herself in a situation that left her "traumatized" when she was confronted by police officers and accused of trafficking her child.
Mary Bridgetta Tomarchio, 45, is a publicist and book coach with a substantial Instagram following. She was recently traveling with her four-year-old son on a Southwest Airlines flight from Florida to Ohio when she was accused of child trafficking.
A bodycam captured the encounter when the mother was approached by two armed police officers while renting a car from Hertz at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on February 17, following a suspicious report and "a couple of calls" from "a pilot" alleging potential child trafficking.
She first thought the officers were joking, but her fear intensified as they started interrogating her and demanded proof of her maternal relationship with the child.
As a Rapid Rewards member, the mother frequently travels to Ohio, where the boy spends time with his father at least once a month. But she has brown hair, and her son is blonde, so, apparently, that was suspicious enough?
She acknowledges their physical differences and has recently lightened her hair to enhance their resemblance. They also bear different last names, as he carries his father's surname.
She told the Daily Mail she had "no idea why she was singled out."
The unjust accusation left me feeling humiliated and emotionally traumatized and highlights a trouble pattern of discriminatory behavior towards single parents, particularly those who who do not share the same last names or physical appearances as their children.
It is unacceptable that in this day and age, a single mother traveling with their child can be targeted and accused of such a heinous crime based solely on unfounded suspicions without any protocol in place.
The officers told her they were merely following up on a report before asking for proof that the kid was her son.
Tomarchio started digging through her stuff in search of documents to verify her relationship with the child. But she hit a snag trying to get on the airport's WiFi to grab his birth certificate from a Google Drive.
I'm sweating just thinking about connecting to wonky WiFi when the stakes are so high!
She told the officers she could show them "millions of photos" on her phone, or they could look her up on Instagram.
I am actually well known and he is all over my Instagram.
Eventually, she handed over their flight tickets, medical and dental cards with both their names, a museum card, and her own ID.
The officers backed down and said, "You're all right. Sorry for the inconvenience." They then wished her well and left.
Shortly after the incident, Tomarchio hopped onto her Instagram and posted a livid video recounting the ordeal for her 50,000+ followers.
No parent should go through this. I am advocating for myself and for all single parents from similar mistreatment in the future.
Tomarchio is now urging airlines to adopt a protocol that involves asking passengers a set of questions before resorting to involving law enforcement in cases of suspected child trafficking. She said that Southwest Airlines had tried to contact her but prefers not to respond until she consulted with legal counsel.
She also launched a petition on Change.org advocating for the mandatory requirement that all children carry government-issued IDs stating the names of both legal parents when traveling.
This measure will not only protect children, but also reassure parents about their children's safety during air travel.
It will help airlines establish clear protocols around child passengers and ensure they are traveling with legitimate guardians or parents.
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines denied any involvement of its employees in the situation.
A statement from the airline read: 'Calls made to local authorities appeared to have been placed by an individual or individuals who are not affiliated Southwest Airlines. These are serious allegations, and we appreciate the patience from the Customer to allow us to look into these claims'.
This story has gone viral, sparking different takes on the situation. While some people online empathize with the mother, others say the police were just doing their job.
Police just doing their jobs would be fine and dandy and all, but unfortunately, this was totally misguided and a complete waste of time.
While single American mothers are being harassed while doing their usual traveling, millions of illegal immigrants are coming into the country WITH children and NO PAPERS.
How about focusing on that?
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