SIOUX FALLS, SD — Police in South Dakota arrested a 49-year-old woman after multiple callers reported she was acting erratically near children outside an apartment complex, according to KELO. Officers later detained Jackline Tingwa after witnesses and children pointed them to where she was standing.
Authorities said the woman was naked or exposing herself and that callers also reported she may have had a gun. Court records cited by the station say Tingwa faces multiple charges, including sexual exploitation of a minor and disorderly conduct.
Police have said they did not find a weapon. The investigation remains active.
Callers reported a naked woman near children around 7:15 p.m.
KELO reported that officers were dispatched around 7:15 p.m. after numerous people called in to report a woman behaving strangely near children. The callers said she was outside the apartment complex without clothes or while exposing herself.
Those reports also included concern that she was carrying a gun. Police later said they did not recover any firearm, but the original calls prompted a large response because the woman was described as being close to children.
The scene quickly drew the attention of officers once they arrived. According to the station, several children approached police and pointed toward the woman’s location.
Witnesses say she asked children if they wanted to be kidnapped
Witnesses told police Tingwa approached children and asked whether they wanted to be kidnapped, KELO reported. The children ran away after the exchange, according to the account shared with investigators.
The reported statements are at the center of the charges now pending against her. Court records cited by the station identify sexual exploitation of a minor among the offenses.
The details described by witnesses also explain why the complaint drew an immediate response from neighbors and police. The reported behavior involved not only exposure, but direct contact with children in the area.
Neighbor says Tingwa held a 2-year-old child
Police also said a neighbor saw Tingwa holding a 2-year-old child and trying to lead the toddler away from other children. KELO said the neighbor stepped in and the child was able to get away.
According to the station, the neighbor then told the child’s mother what had happened. That account adds another layer to what officers were told about Tingwa’s behavior before she was detained.
Authorities have not said whether the toddler was injured. The available information focuses on the intervention by the neighbor and the quick handoff back to the family.
Officers did not find a gun despite early reports
Although callers reported that the woman might have been armed, police said they did not find a weapon, KELO reported. That detail matters because the initial calls suggested the situation could have posed an even greater danger.
By the time officers made contact, several children were already helping direct police to the woman’s location. The station reported that officers then detained Tingwa.
The absence of a gun did not end the case. Investigators continued to examine the reports, witness accounts, and the alleged contact with the children.
Court records show multiple charges as the case continues
KELO said court records show Tingwa faces multiple charges, including sexual exploitation of a minor and disorderly conduct. The station did not provide additional details about the court process in the available report.
Police said the investigation is ongoing. For now, the public record described by the station centers on the reported exposure, the alleged comments to children, and the neighbor’s intervention.
The case remains in the hands of investigators and the court system. Authorities have not said when Tingwa is expected to make her next court appearance.