Rice: Man was returning child

What began as police bulletin about a possible kidnapping has ended with a misdemeanor charge in Havre City Court.

Allen Ray Terry, 51, of Moulton, Ala., was arrested about 2 p.m. Monday about 1 miles west of Harlem by a Blaine County sheriff's deputy on a charge of kidnapping.

Hill County Attorney David Rice said today he has reduced the charge to endangering the welfare of a child.

"He just kind of lost his good sense," Rice said.

Havre police received a call at 10:48 a.m. Monday that a man had taken his grandchild from the child's mother. The police put out an alert on a statewide computer system and notified law enforcement agencies in surrounding counties, police Capt. Mike Barthel said.

The police also had local radio stations broadcast a request that people be on the lookout for the car Terry left in.

Rice said Terry heard the announcement on the radio and was coming back to Havre to return the child to his mother when he was stopped by the Blaine County deputy.

Terry was in Havre to visit his grandchild, and while here was talking to a lawyer about setting up visitation with the child's father, who lives in Alabama, Rice said.

The child is back with his mother, who is satisfied with the resolution of the incident, Rice said.

Barthel said the Police Department received calls after the radio announcements were made. A 911 call from Vick King of Snap-On Tools, who was driving on U.S. Highway 2 when Terry's vehicle passed him, was what led to the Blaine County arrest, Barthel said.