Mom accused of kidnapping boy, making him apologize for bullying

A mother accused of kidnapping an 11-year-old boy and forcing him to apologize for allegedly bullying her child faces felony charges in Utah, court records show.

Shannon Tufuga, 40, was charged with kidnapping and aggravated child ​abuse, both second-degree felonies. Prosecutors say she confronted the 11-year-old boy while he was riding his bike in his neighborhood in Provo, Utah, and “made” him ⁠get into her vehicle.

“The defendant was driving around looking for (the 11-year-old boy) wanting to confront ‌him about bullying her child,” Orem, Utah, law ​enforcement officer Bradley Macfarlane wrote in a statement of probable cause, part of a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY.

Tufuga then allegedly drove the boy to her own home in Provo to have him ⁠apologize to her child, without permission from the ‌boy’s parents, the complaint said. ‌The boy apologized, and Tufuga then threatened to have her husband “beat up” the boy and said he was “lucky” she ⁠didn’t run over his bike with her car, according to the complaint. She then took him to his house, officials said.

Provo ‌is about 45 miles outside ‌of Salt Lake City and has a population of over 115,000 people.

Since the incident, the 11-year-old child has suffered “serious emotional distress,” has “high anxiety” and ⁠has “had to alter his daily routines significantly,” the complaint ​said.

The alleged incident happened ⁠on Sept. ​17, 2025, but charges weren’t filed until March 23, according to court records.

An attorney representing Tufuga did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY on March 25. ⁠In a statement to KUTV, lawyer Pona Sitake denied the allegations against Tufuga and said they were coming from a “troubled child.”

“We look forward to presenting evidence ⁠to the State regarding repeat challenges our client’s children have faced at school, including the elementary school administration’s ongoing efforts to address bullying and maintain a safe environment,” Sitake said in ⁠the statement to KUTV.

“The filing ‌of these allegations are a symptom of our ​society’s failings and ‌an erosion of traditional family values, where children were once ​held accountable by their own parents,” he said.