Two Dispatchers Suspended in Kidnap Case

Two Charlotte County (Fla.) dispatchers have been suspended for their mishandling of a 911 call that reported a woman who seemed to be kidnapped in a moving car. The woman, later identified as Denise Lee, in fact had been kidnapped earlier, and was found murdered the next day. Dispatcher Susan Kallestad received a 60-hour unpaid suspension, and dispatcher Elizabeth Martinez was suspended without pay for 36 hours. Both must undergo 12 hours of remedial training and will be on probation for six months. Lee had been reported missing in another jurisdiction, but an alert had been broadcast for the suspect’s car. The suspect was later spotted and arrested.