At approximately 7:45 PM on Monday, May 6, 2024, Sacramento County Sheriff’s North Patrol Deputies responded to the parking lot of a bar on the 5300 block of Auburn Boulevard when a passerby called 911 to report that the suspect, later identified as 54-year-old Jason Warren, was asking people for help because his 7-year-old granddaughter had been kidnapped for human trafficking. Deputies arrived on scene and contacted Warren, who was highly intoxicated. He told Deputies that he had given an unknown homeless woman $20 to take his granddaughter to a nearby thrift store while he went into the bar approximately four hours earlier. Deputies quickly obtained video surveillance footage of the woman leaving with the child.

Additional resources, including STAR (Sheriff’s helicopter), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS/drones), and Sheriff’s K9 units, were immediately brought into the area to assist with the search. Approximately a half hour after the search was underway, the woman heard the PA announcements from STAR and returned to the parking lot with the child. The female confirmed that Warren had given her money to take the child to the thrift store. She went on to tell Deputies that Warren was highly intoxicated and she did not think he could care for the child. The female took the child to her “camp” to get food. Deputies spoke with the child, who corroborated the ordeal. The child was not in distress and was medically cleared by Fire Department personnel at the scene as a precaution.

Through further investigation, deputies were able to determine that the child’s aunt had full custody of the child, but asked Warren to care for his granddaughter because she had to go to work. Deputies conferred with Child Protective Services and determined the child was cleared to return home with her aunt.

Deputies consulted with Detectives from the Sheriff’s Child Abuse Bureau, and Warren was arrested for felony child endangerment and other charges. He was subsequently transported to the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he is currently being held on $75,000 bail. Warren is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow, May 8, 2024. California law prohibits his booking photo from being shared on social media, but it can be found on www.sacsheriff.com.

Sergeant Amar Gandhi
Sheriff’s Spokesman