Man in mental health crisis detained after entering car with child inside in museum parking lot

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls Police Department is responding to a local woman’s harrowing Facebook post regarding a weekend incident involving a man attempting to enter a vehicle with children inside.

According to police, officers responded to a 911 call from a mother reporting that a man had approached her vehicle in a museum parking lot while her children were inside. The woman told officers the man attempted to unbuckle one of the child’s seat belts before she intervened and told him to get out of the vehicle.

He then reportedly moved through the parking lot, attempting to open the doors of other parked cars.

Officers arrived on the scene quickly and located the suspect nearby. Following an initial assessment, officials determined the man was not acting with criminal intent but was in the midst of a severe psychological episode.

"It was very evident to officers, based on his behavior and the things he was saying, that he was experiencing a mental health crisis," said Jessica Clements, IFPD Public Information Officer. This was supported by information about the man's behavior prior to this interaction."

The man was placed into protective custody and transported to a medical facility for professional mental health treatment.