OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – A local attorney faces a kidnapping charge after authorities say she attempted to take a toddler from a church day care, claiming she was sent by God to be with the children.
Tracy Zahl, 49, was arrested after an incident on July 23 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church Child Care Center, according to court records. Investigators allege Zahl entered the facility through an unlocked door and made her way to a downstairs classroom, where she tried to persuade a 2-year-old girl to leave with her.
A teacher noticed the interaction and quickly intervened, removing the child from Zahl’s reach and instructing her to leave the classroom. The teacher then alerted the child care center director, authorities said.
Instead of exiting the building, Zahl reportedly wandered through the church and encountered another group of children. She allegedly joined the line of children and, when questioned by another teacher, stated she was “going with them.” Mistaking Zahl for a volunteer, the teacher permitted her to accompany the group to their destination.
Once inside a classroom, Zahl sat at a table among several children, according to the probable cause affidavit. When staff confronted her a second time, she reportedly stated she had been sent by God to be with the children. Staff insisted Zahl leave the property, at which point she departed, but not before a staff member jotted down a portion of her vehicle’s license plate.
Police traced Zahl to her residence, located less than a mile from the church, with the help of license plate readers. When questioned by officers, she admitted she had no legitimate reason to be at the day care, acknowledging she did not have a child or grandchild enrolled there, investigators said.
Zahl was taken into custody and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. She is being held on a $30,000 bond. Court records do not currently list an attorney representing her.
Public records indicate Zahl, an attorney licensed in Oklahoma, has faced professional discipline in the past, having been sanctioned for forging a prescription. In another separate incident in 2021, she was arrested on suspicion of threatening to harm a co-worker.
Officials have not reported any injuries as a result of the incident, and day care staff stated the child involved was not physically harmed. The facility has since reviewed its security procedures in response to the event. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.