A Leesburg woman was arrested after refusing to give custody of her children to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Lake County deputies responded to an undisclosed Leesburg residence regarding two missing juveniles and interference with child custody at around 9:35 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The female complainant stated that she was trying to contact 39-year-old Shana Jean Mcpoyle to gain custody of her children. She also had people associated with DCF with her, the report said.
Upon the deputy’s arrival, he spoke to the complainant who advised that she was at the residence on Saturday to take the children into her custody, but their Mcpoyle refused to relinquish them. She told the complainant that she was not taking her children and slammed the door. The complainant conducted a drop service of the change placement documents at the door of the residence and advised they would return the next day, the report said.
The complainant came back to find the emergency change of placement order still present at the door, but there was a set of luggage outside, too. She tried speaking to Mcpoyle without success, the report said.
On Monday, the complainant tried again to get in contact with Mcpoyle, who was aware that her children were being taken into DCF’s custody. She tried knocking at her door with no result. She also produced an emergency change of placement order showing she had legal custody of both children, the report said.
While on scene, the deputy spoke with the registered owner of the vehicle Mcpoyle was driving. He advised there was an Apple air tag inside it, but due to him being out of state, it would update irregularly and was not reliable to track her location, the report said.
The complainant further advised that the children, luggage and change of placement order were missing from the front of the home where she had last seen them. She also advised that Mcpoyle may be driving a white Ford SUV. At the time, both juveniles were thus declared missing, the report said.
On Wednesday around 1:36 a.m., the owner of the vehicle contacted law enforcement to advise that Mcpoyle and both children were sleeping in his vehicle in the parking lot of One Fire Church located at 110 South Bay Street in Eustis. During this call, the owner stated that Mcpoyle knew DCF was trying to take the children and was concealing them, the report said.
The deputy went to the parking lot and observed the vehicle parked on the side of the building. When he approached, he saw Mcpoyle and the children sleeping inside. She was removed from the vehicle, placed under arrest and secured in a patrol truck. The children were recovered and turned over to the custody of a DCF worker, the report said.
Mcpoyle was charged with two counts of interference with child custody. The New Jersey native was transported to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $4,000.
