The allegations [music] are that you have a son and that he's deceased and he's here in this house. You need to come clean cuz we're not going anywhere. Can I see the warrant before we walk any further? Stop. How can I help you? Hi. >> Are you Ms. Staples? Yes. How can I help you? So, we got kind of a weird phone call. Um do you know LaTricia? No. No. I don't know anybody [clears throat] out here. Some lady called DCFS and >> What? and kind of made some claims a child that actually shot themselves. Absolutely not. >> No, I it sounds crazy to me, too. That's what I am so sorry about this. My ex-husband his new girlfriend, this broad is off the chain. I have went down to Rock Island and filed a police report on her. Okay. >> I have went and put a restraining order on her. What's her name? Uh her name is Tony. This girl is never ending. She has so many different Facebook pages she stalks me from. She has made up different names, called me from different numbers. I have changed my number, tried to do everything I can. >> Right. Unfortunately, I can never seem to get them served because they're always bouncing around in the Chicago area. Okay, they're not even down here. >> They're not even out here. And it's been a constant >> Have we been here before? No, you've never come to my house for anything. I've been here for 7 years and never had a problem in Rock Island. >> Yeah, I I didn't know you were here. >> I work I work at Genesis Hospital. I'm a patient care tech. I'm a student at Eastern Iowa Community College. >> Okay. >> I have a business in Davenport. This girl has made threats towards me on Facebook, posting her gun up, saying that she's going to come to my addy. It's just never ending. Right. Um so, they they made some allegation that you had a son and he shot himself and he's in your basement. >> You think Look Look where I live. I No, I get it. Just so I can check the box off, can I look in your basement real quick and I'll get out of here. >> No, you need a search warrant to do that. I'm sorry. I'm not about to have my black rights violated because someone makes Uranus allegations like this. >> I know. Like I said, it sounded crazy to me, too. I'm just up here seeing if, you know, we have to investigate it. You know, no matter how crazy it sounds. >> that, I would suggest you go through the proper protocols. I'm not about to let some crazy woman who has now has my husband Mhm. make Uranus accusations like this and have my rights violated. That's not >> No, I get it. That's why I'm just >> not okay. I have four girls in here. That's why I'm just asking. I'm not >> Four children. >> trying to blame anything on you. I'm not saying this is true. I'm just I was just asking, okay? That's all. >> This is nuts. >> That's all it is. Okay. Um I have four children here. >> Her ex-husband's new girlfriend's been causing her issues. She thinks that's who it is. >> my job, harassing my place of business, harassing my children. I'm sick of it. Okay. I'll try to get a restraining order against her, try to get one against him. It's never ending. I cannot have any peace where I live. >> And you guys only have girls? Yes. Okay. >> I have four. Do you want to see them? >> No, no, they said it was a son. I was just curious if that's even true. It's not. Okay. I this this is I'm just I'm it's a never ending story with these two. >> I get Like I said, I'm not I'm not trying to bother you anything, but we get a call no matter how crazy it sounds, we still got to come up and see if there's any truth to it. >> And this is crazy. >> It is. This is very crazy. Okay. I have been living here for 6 years. I'm never My neighbors have never had a complaint. Don't you think that my neighbors would have heard some some something like that, they would have made a call or said something to somebody? >> would believe so, yeah. Just think about it. It don't make no kind of sense. This girl is psycho. She's harassed my job. >> her phone number by chance? >> No, I don't. Okay. I don't know her phone number. Okay. All right. Well, sorry to bother you, okay? Like I said, we get a call, we we got to show up. >> They got to get to the point now where they don't have my phone number, so they emailing me, okay? I have spam emails here from these people. I'm going to go down here. The last one I got was Let me see. Does it have a name on it? Yes, it has his name on it. I have to go here. This is the last one I have. And this gotten to the point where they're emailing me because they don't have a contact phone number on me. Right. >> This is how bad the harass has gotten. But until I can get Rock Island to Cook County to serve them and actually find the address on them, >> Right. that's going to be a problem. All [snorts] right. >> So, they keep having me come back to court until I can get an address on it. I'll add some notes just in the call that I was here and that it's a harassment thing, so we don't have to keep coming up here and >> Thank you. All right. Sorry Sorry to bug you. I just like I said, we got a call even if it sounds crazy, we had to come and see what's going on. I'm sorry. >> I don't even know what to say about her. It's never ending. All right. I have doorbell cams here. All right, I saw that. So. I'm here. I ain't got nothing to hide. >> Okay. She looked out the window. Hello. Yes. Sushi? Can you come out? What's going on? Well, just step on out. I'll I'll explain everything. >> Wait a minute. My kids are in here. Okay, I understand that, but we have a search warrant for the house. >> to be up front with us. Hold on. So, step on out. >> No, step out. >> the house do you all have a search warrant for? The whole house. You need to step out. Step out. Okay, let me I'm I'm going to open the door. >> Okay. Open the door. We'll We'll all walk casually. We're not going to tear up your house or anything, so >> Calm down. My kids are in here. >> Okay. How many? Four. >> And where at in the house? They're upstairs. I just made them go upstairs. I don't want to scare my kids. Can we just Can we just calm down? >> officers is going to walk in there with you and I got a copy of the warrant here for you, honey. Can I see the warrant, please? And I can call my lawyer. Can I see the warrant before we walk any further? Just I'm trying to be We have a valid search warrant, so I understand, but you haven't let me see it yet and you're walking through my house. >> right here. You don't run how we do You don't Yeah, you're not in control of this. Okay. I'm trying to see. So, I need your phone, too. My phone? That's not my phone. >> Well, we're going So, which which rooms are your kids in? They're upstairs. I am very cooperative. I'm not threatening anybody. You're fine. You're fine. Look, I'm scared. My kids are We'll go upstairs and My kids are here. That's empty. Well, I'll turn it over to you. Do you know why we're here? No, I don't. I don't know why you're here. >> Okay. >> [clears throat] >> And I'm really scared. My kids are upstairs. I don't know what's going on. Okay. Okay. Can I call my family to tell them to somebody to come to You're You're not under arrest or anything like that, okay? That's That's why I'm sitting here talking to you, okay? >> Okay, I'm scared to death because I don't know what's going on. And So, the reason we're here, okay, is cuz we're investigating a call that we we had, okay? The officers came out and talked to you last night, correct? >> Yes. Okay. >> [laughter] >> Um We have [snorts] to handle that real seriously, okay? Cuz the allegations are that you have a son and that he's deceased and he's here in this house. Okay? So, that's that's where we're at right now. Do [snorts] you have a son named Zion? No, I don't. You've never had a son named Zion? No. Are you claiming benefits for a kid named Zion? No. I haven't gotten any benefits for anyone. >> [snorts] >> I just recently went through a situation where a young lady stole my identity and she falsely filed my taxes and my informations and stuff like that. >> Mhm. And I've been working with the FBI. I've been working with the IRS. It's been a lot of things popping up and I'm >> [clears throat] >> Um have you had any interactions with DCFS up in Chicago? I did. Okay. False calls that were made. >> Okay. >> Correct. Um one of the calls from 2021 DCFS came out to your residence in Chicago and there was a Zion Staples there. Along Along with your four daughters and then another young boy. We had kids in the neighborhood to come over. So, >> Some of those kids that were implicated were not in fact our children. They were there occasionally. >> saying there was a kid in your apartment that was not your your kid named Zion? I didn't say his name was Zion. No. Somewhere here we've got to clear this up with this Zion Staples. Yes, and I I didn't >> Benefits Listen to it. Benefits being put in his name that you're receiving from I haven't received any benefits. then also involved in this. I haven't received any benefits. That's what I'm telling you. Someone has stolen my identity. I have proof of that. If you go in my phone, you'll be able to see the messages between me and the FBI agent in Milwaukee. So I'm But this is separate from that with the DCFS call. Because somebody is obviously claiming benefits and getting probably getting food stamps or something. But they're getting food stamps for your your four daughters and Zion. >> And I've been having a hard time with that because I can't get any because of that and I've been working on it. >> [snorts] >> Okay, are we going to find anything in your house that has Zion's name on it? Birth certificate, social security card, or anything like that? Nope. Well, cuz we're seizing your phone, okay? I understand you're seizing it, but that's like I should be able to at least call my lawyer still. I shouldn't be held in my own house and not be able to call my counsel. >> Well, are you requesting a lawyer right now? Um Cuz if you request a lawyer right now, we're done talking. And then what? You're going to arrest me? I don't know what we're going to do. We're going to search your house. >> this house upside down. Cuz somewhere here we need to get to the bottom of this Zion this Zion thing. I can't believe >> This is coming from This is coming from other people. This is getting >> I can't have people call and make allegations against me. People do this every day out of spite. And I possibly had some visitors. It was It was probably the summertime and I had Zion Staples. Who is Zion Staples? I don't know. People make [ __ ] up all the time. People make [ __ ] up all the time. Cuz see, DCFS does not come into your home and say, "Okay, have the neighbors over and let's let's do all this personal stuff that affects you and your family in front of all these other people." >> They did. >> it with you and your family. >> They did though. They very much did that. That doesn't make a lot of sense. If you are claiming people back and forth amongst family members to get bigger returns, our biggest concern is that we can have somebody with law enforcement say, "This is Zion. This is what was what's going on and he is fine." Because right now, we have a person that exists, but we can't lay eyes on him and it's a child. Okay, that's what you're saying. >> Are Are you >> noise. It's the the beeping. >> [sighs] >> So that's what we're looking at. So if this is what's going on, if you have a cousin, a sister, a brother-in-law, a friend, or whatever claiming kids, or you're claiming them on the app and you guys are splitting some extra money, I get that. The biggest concern that we have here is is that we need to make sure that this kid is safe. And in the in in the time since the officer was here last night and the time that an officer had called you back in June, and we can say, "Nope, she totally cleared it. There is nobody here. There is nobody here." >> Stop the arrest. I'm telling you Birth certificate for Zion Staples. >> Zion Staples? That's [snorts] not mine. >> She states child is It's found in your room. We need to get We need to get this figured out. Stop this lying. It's over. Where is that kid? You need to come clean cuz we're not going anywhere. This is just You're just going to dig yourself a bigger grave now. I asked you if there's anything with Zion's name in this house, you said no. I needed some extra help, okay? >> [snorts] >> That was it. What do you mean by that? I had a person that makes documents. And it was just really hard. Like So does Is Is Zion a real person? No. I can't call a lawyer and let them know you are here. I can't call a lawyer to come here to my house while I'm being questioned by you. If you if you want an attorney right now, we we we can just we just we'll just be done. >> done. All right. >> investigation continues. Okay. >> [snorts] >> Okay. Go and turn around for me. Oh, no, no, no. I'm going to jail? What am I going to jail for? What have I done? >> admitted to fraud. So now you're going to railroad me on fraud? >> Railroad you what? We're trying to figure out where your kid is. My >> You're saying he doesn't exist. Cuffs ready? Walk out. We'll cuff you in front, okay? This is embarrassing. Can I I can get in the car. Do you got to take my dignity away and put me in cuffs in front? >> We're not We're not going to We're not going to put them behind you, okay? We can We're going to walk you to the car real quick and then we'll get you out of here, okay? >> [clears throat] >> My neighbors They been knowing me for 6 years. You see that badge over there? I work two jobs at Genesis. >> you. I hear I go to school out here. >> [snorts] >> God. This is embarrassing. I'm walking you out. Make sure that's okay. >> [music] >> give the story that ZS was playing with a handgun and accidentally shot himself. And at that point in time, they admitted knowing that there was someone that passed away. Yes. Anything that was trying to be used to conceal the smell? Um in every vent of the house, there was dryer sheets. The sentence of the court is going to be 2 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 6 months of mandatory supervised release. I should have done more and not still have made the right decision, but I just don't know what happened. I am not a criminal. I am not a monster. I am just a mother who have tried over and over again, no matter how many times I fall, to get up and do the right thing again. There needs to be an incentive for people who own guns to buy trigger locks or have safes or store these weapons where no children or other people with mental health issues can access them.