Cooley pleads guilty to custody rights deprivation; Kidnapping charges dismissed

Published 9:13 am Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Izetta Cooley, 39

Izetta Rose Cooley, 39, of Moorhead pleaded guilty to felony deprive of custody right-violation of court order-take minor as part of a plea agreement on Monday in Mower County District Court.

Two charges of felony kidnapping-to facilitate felony or flight were dismissed as part of the agreement.

Cooley became a kidnapping suspect after it was reported she had taken two children from a designated foster parent at a residence in the 200 block of Elm Street in Rose Creek on the evening of Sept. 29. According to the court complaint, a relative at the house said Cooley told him she was coming to get her kids, despite the Clay County Court having given custody of her children to Clay County Social Services, who placed the children in the Rose Creek home.

Email newsletter signup

The complaint states that Cooley, with assistance from her oldest child, Morgan, took two children from the house, even though the court order required them to remain at the Rose Creek residence.

Cooley was arrested on Oct. 2 at a residence in Moorhead, where law enforcement recovered the two children taken from Rose Creek as well as two children reported missing out of Moorhead. Morgan turned himself in to Moorhead police on Oct. 5.

Cooley will be sentenced on March 14.