Judge Finds Woman Guilty of Parental Kidnapping
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
May 19, 2026
MOBILE, Ala. A woman arrested after she took her child from Orange Beach without having custodial rights has been found guilty of international parental kidnapping.
Haley Leah Harris, 24, was accused of coming to a residence in Orange Beach and kidnapping her 3-year-old daughter from the home of the child’s father and then fleeing to Mexico where federal law enforcement later arrested her.
Although a jury in March deadlocked on the charge against Harris, a federal judge Monday found her guilty.
Prosecutors alleged Harris violated the father’s parental rights. The defense contended she had every legal right to take her daughter and that she was not under a court order not to do so.
After the hung jury, prosecutors and the defense agreed to bypass another jury and have a nonjury trial in front of a judge. Since Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock already heard all of the testimony, neither side presented any new evidence which in itself was unusual and it allowed the judge to only consider testimony and evidence previously presented.
Although the U.S. Attorney’s Office is recommending a sentence of the time Harris has been jailed since her arrest, the judge could impose prison time on the federal charge of kidnapping.
When she was arrested, she was pregnant and while in jail, Harris gave birth to another child.
The judge agreed to release her from jail until her formal sentencing hearing in August.
Harris plans to take the baby to Oregon while she serves her supervised release term if its granted. While there she’ll be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office and will not be allowed to leave the country.
The attorney for Harris said that she also has pending charges in Baldwin County, although he hopes prosecutors will decide not to go forward with that case and added that Harris will likely appeal her federal conviction.
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