BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Bellingham Police Department (BPD) officers were dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of 32nd Street in Bellingham about 5:50am on Monday, March 17, 2025, due to a report of a kidnapping.
According to a probable cause statement filed in the court, BPD officers learned the biological father of an infant, identified as Mariano Adajar Malpezzi, age 21, had entered the residence without permission, picked up the sleeping child and forcibly left with the child while the child’s biological mother and another person attempted to stop him.
Malpezzi announced he was going to Las Vegas as he left the residence.
Officers were provided a detailed description of Malpezzi and his vehicle.
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BPD Detectives were called in and immediately began to investigate and collaborate with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division, the FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation Bellingham, and also the Washington State Patrol. Their swift investigation and collaboration allowed us to find the Equinox on Interstate 90 near Bellevue.
The father was arrested and the infant found, unharmed. BPD detectives assisted with transporting the mother to her child and facilitate the reunion.
– Bellingham Police Department (March 17, 2025)
Malpezzi was booked into Whatcom County Jail about 12:45pm on March 17th. Prosecutors asked that bail be set at $250,000 during a preliminary hearing on March 18, 2025. His defense attorney asked he be released under his own personal recognizance. The court set bail at $100,000 bond or $10,000 cash.
As of March 22, 2025, Malpezzi remained in custody at the jail. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for March 28, 2025.
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