Dothan Man Charged After He Drives Off with Victim’s Child in Backseat

(DOTHAN, Ala.) On April 16, 2025, Dothan Police investigators charged Isaiah Jamal Turner (32 years old) of Dothan with Interference with Custody after driving off with the victim’s child in the back seat.  The charges stem from an altercation between Turner and the victim when Turner made sexual advances, which were unwanted and rejected.  The victim, feeling uncomfortable, asked Turner to stop the vehicle.  When the vehicle stopped in the 100 block of Westgate, the victim tried to get her child.  Turner locked the doors and drove away.  Turner has been charged with one count of Interference with Custody and placed in the Houston County Jail.

Dothan Police officers responded to a business in the 100 block of Westgate Parkway in reference to a disturbance.  Officer met with the victim and they told the officers they were riding with Turner to a doctor’s appointment.  Turner made sexual advances toward the victim, which she did not want.  After being rejected, the victim asked Turner to let them out of the vehicle.  After several requests, Turner stopped and the victim got out of the vehicle.  As the victim was trying to get a child out of the backseat, Turner locked the doors and drove away from the scene.  In phone calls to Turner, he refused to return the child.

As officers were taking information and preparing to issue alerts for the child, an officer noticed a vehicle looking like Turner’s at the Dothan City Jail.  The driver was identified as Turner and he had the child, who is under the age of two, in his vehicle.  Turner was taken into custody since he was in no way related to the child and had no legal basis for taking the child.  As a result, Turner was charged with Interference with Custody.  The child was reunited with the victim.

Isaiah Jamal Turner (32) of Dothan- Interference with Custody, $15,000 bond
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