The race issue is enough of a cause of contention in this country without the attention-seekers who falsely accuse race-based people of committing serious criminal acts. However, at least one of the perpetrators is being punished, and it’s grabbing news within Wine Country.

Katie Sorensen, a white social media “mommy influencer” from Sonoma, was found guilty of one charge of filing a false police report where she claimed that a Latino couple was trying to kidnap her children. She retold this false assertion in the Instagram video that racked up millions of followers.

We’ll take a look at the shocking story here.

Sorensen Reports Attempted Kidnapping 

On the 7th of December in 2020, Sorensen spent the day shopping for her two kids at Michael’s craft store in Petaluma, California. After completing her store purchase, she returned to her vehicle, but with her assets and kids, and then drove off. It was a typical and uninteresting day.

However, just a moment afterward, the Petaluma Police Department got a phone call from a woman who had reported that a stranger couple had tried to kidnap one of her children. The person who called is Katie Sorensen.

Sorensen Goes Public 

But she didn’t end there. A week later, Sorensen turned to Instagram. She posted a short video in which she went into incredible detail about the incident, including information she’d not shared with the police.

Following the virality of the video after the video went viral, she retold her tale to KTVU, the local news station informing reporters that a male and woman were following her in the shop. She said she saw the man looking at her from the parking lot before heading to the store. In one instance, she stated that she heard the man talk about the physical characteristics of her children to someone else, perhaps on the phone.

Sorensen told KTVU that a couple stood close to her in line, didn’t purchase anything, and then walked out with her. She claimed that the man reached out and looked like she was attempting to take her stroller, and she then yelled for assistance. The couple then went to their vehicle and drove off. The witness stated that the couple did not seem “clean cut.”

The Couple Comes Forward 

The police followed the investigation with Sorensen and conducted a second interview with her. In the second interview, she identified two people from Michael’s store’s video footage as the perpetrators.

The couple accused, Sadie and Eddie Martinez, were spotted on the news and then came out to deny the allegations. They claimed they visited the shop for a nativity scene just before Christmas. For the couple, everything was fine. They have denied that they had anything to do with being in any way with Sorensen and her children. Sadie and Eddie are Latino and accused their mother of racial discrimination.

California v. Sorensen

Based on the video from the store and the couple’s confessions, The police have cleared Martinez and Martinezes of any wrongdoing and instead took their “momfluencer.” They were charged Sorensen with multiple misdemeanors, including one count of filing a fake police report and two counts of making a fake report on a crime made to government officials.

A jury found she was guilty of submitting a false Police report. However, they cleared her of the remaining two charges. She was remanded in custody with a bail of $100,000 and could face a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez stated, “This verdict will allow us to make Mrs. Sorensen accountable for her criminal act, while at same time, helping to release the couple who was wrongly accused of trying to kidnap two children. The case is also significant because it demonstrates the importance of using social networks in a responsible manner.” The office of the DA has made it a priority to investigate allegations.

In apologizing for the jury’s decision to acquit of two counts, Sorensen’s attorney, Charles Dresow, said that his client “misperceived and misunderstood a series of random events, which were occurring around her, and made a [sic] honest report to the police.” He also said that Sorensen discovered she was in error after examining the evidence, and she was unsure of how much her story would get out or what impact it could result in. He hasn’t said if Sorensen will contest her conviction.

What Should Sorensen Do? 

Sorensen should be able to cut down her losses in court. The fact that she could avoid an indictment on the two charges is a significant victory, considering the ambiguities between the statements she gave to the authorities and the evidence she presented during the trial. The police, and officials from the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, were able to set her free. She must complete her sentence and move on with her life.

She also needs to be able to apologize for her actions in front of the Martinezes. If she was innocently misinformed about things as her lawyer says she did, admitting to her error shouldn’t be too difficult, particularly after that, the press disseminated the Martinez name. As Sadie Martinez testified, “We were forever labeled child abductors.” Even though lawyers are telling hermit mistakes, apologizing is the most Sorensen could do.