Whitefish authorities on Wednesday arrested a California surgeon who allegedly assaulted a court-appointed observer during a supervised visit with her child before attempting to abduct the minor and flee the state, according to officials.
Officers with the Whitefish Police Department arrested Dr. Theresa Lynn Colosi, 55, of San Jose, California, on a $1 million warrant for charges of attempted murder and attempted child abduction after they received a request for assistant from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities in California relayed that Colosi, an orthopedic surgeon, allegedly assaulted and seriously injured the observer during a court-ordered visit with Colosi’s child. The suspect’s subsequent attempt to abduct the child was unsuccessful, according to a press release from the Whitefish Police Department.
Local law enforcement officials became involved after authorities in Santa Barbara learned that Colosi had withdrawn a large sum of cash from a bank account and chartered an aircraft to Glacier Jet Center at Glacier International Airport. Whitefish police obtained further information that Colosi was staying at a residence in Whitefish.
Armed with that information, officers conducted a surveillance of the residence and observed a taxi pick up a woman at approximately 5 a.m. Wednesday, according to the press release. The female matched the description of Colosi, and Whitefish patrol officers conducted a traffic stop.
Police arrested Colosi without incident and she is currently being held at the Flathead County Detention Center awaiting extradition to California.
Members of the Northwest Drug Task Force assisted in the investigation, which is ongoing.