Oregon woman wielding machete and ax attempted to kidnap boy, police say

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A machete- and ax-wielding Oregon woman was arrested Sunday after attempting to kidnap a 6-year-old boy, threatening his parents with the weapons and hurling racial slurs at the family, authorities said.

Elizabeth A. Zurcher-Wood, 37, approached a family that was waiting in line outside a pizzeria just before 4 p.m. in downtown Portland, the Portland Police Bureau said.

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Zurcher-Wood told the family that she wanted to take the boy and lunged at him, according to police. When the family tried to back away and threw objects at Zurcher-Wood to keep her back, police said the suspect threatened them with the bladed weapons and used racial slurs before running away.

Zurcher-Wood attempted to kidnap a 6-year-old boy and threatened his family with a machete and ax, both of which were later found in her possession, police said. (Multnomah County Jail / Portland Police Bureau)

Officers were alerted to the attempted kidnapping and responded to Southwest 3rd Avenue and West Burnside Street. After being warned the suspect had a machete and an ax, officers found Zurcher-Wood a few blocks away.

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Zurcher-Wood cooperated with officers and was arrested. The machete and ax found in her possession were seized as evidence, police said.

Zurcher-Wood was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of second-degree kidnapping, three counts of second-degree bias, unlawful use of a weapon, second-degree disorderly conduct and menacing.