Kids Found Safe, Father & Friend Arrested After Bank Visit

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NORTH MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A father was one of two men picked up by police following a bizarre series of events that included an alleged attempt to cash fraudulent checks and three toddler-aged children being taken in a car without permission.

Jean Etienne, 32, was arrested Friday, July 8th, and charged with falsely reporting a crime and child neglect.

Hours earlier, Etienne, along with 20-year-old Terence Hill, walked into the Wells Fargo Bank at 12700 Biscayne Blvd and attempted to withdraw $3,500 from two fraudulent checks deposited the day before in Etienne's bank account, according to North Miami Police.

The two men were driven to the bank by a third unidentified man, police said. Also inside the car were Etienne's three children -- ages 2, 3, and 5 months.

During the bank's verification process, Hill is said to have gotten nervous and ran back to the car waiting nearby.

They drove off without Etienne but with his kids still sitting in the back seat.

Etienne called police and told them he was "forced" into the car with his kids and driven to the bank.

In his arrest report, officers said from the initial onset of the investigation, he provided them with false information that delayed finding the children.

Hill told police he drove around with the kids for a few hours before handing them over to their mother. He said he was unaware that they were going to the bank to attempt to withdraw the cash and only met Etienne the day before.

The three children were later discovered dropped off at the police station in a yellow taxi cab unhurt.

Hill was charged with false imprisonment.