Topline: The suspect, a licensed attorney, had no child enrolled at the facility and no legal reason to be there, authorities say.
Published: August 4, 2025 8:00 am ET
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Tracy Zahl (via Oklahoma County Jail)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — An Oklahoma City attorney is behind bars after police say she walked into a daycare uninvited and attempted to lure a toddler away, claiming she had been “sent by God.”
Tracy Zahl, a licensed attorney in Oklahoma, was arrested on July 23 and is now facing a kidnapping charge after entering Westminster Presbyterian Church Child Care Center through an unsecured door, according to KSBI.
Investigators say Zahl made her way to the lower level of the building, where she approached a 2-year-old child and said, “Come with me.”
A quick-acting teacher intervened, stopping the child and confronting Zahl, who was then asked to leave. Instead, according to the police report, Zahl followed another group of children to their classroom before being escorted off the premises.
Daycare staff told police that Zahl gave no explanation for her presence other than to say she had been “sent by God to be with the children.”
Police later located Zahl at her home less than a mile away and took her into custody. Officers noted she had no children or relatives enrolled at the daycare and no lawful reason to be inside the facility. Upon her arrest, Zahl reportedly told police, “I made a mistake.”
Zahl’s legal history includes previous disciplinary action.
KFOR reported the Oklahoma Bar Association suspended her for one year in 2011 after she self-reported a felony arrest for prescription forgery. A decade later, in 2021, Zahl was charged with two misdemeanors for allegedly threatening to kill a former employer and a coworker. That former coworker, speaking to KFOR by phone, said, “I trust the court and the bar association to address these allegations of her behavior in an appropriate manner and to protect the public.”
Ed Blau, a legal analyst, told KFOR the case raises serious concerns.
“In this particular case, the fact that a licensed attorney tried to do that is very concerning because we have to assume that that attorney has clients of her own that she’s responsible for,” he said.
Blau also noted that incidents involving attorneys often raise questions about mental health or substance use.
The Oklahoma Bar Association confirmed to KFOR that it is monitoring the case but, citing court rules, declined to comment further on any potential disciplinary investigation.
Zahl is currently being held in the Oklahoma County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
The case remains under investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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‘Sent by God’: Oklahoma Lawyer Accused of Trying to Kidnap Toddler From Daycare
The suspect, a licensed attorney, had no child enrolled at the facility and no legal reason to be there, authorities say.
By Jacob Charles
Published: August 4, 2025 8:00 am ET
Tracy Zahl (via Oklahoma County Jail)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — An Oklahoma City attorney is behind bars after police say she walked into a daycare uninvited and attempted to lure a toddler away, claiming she had been “sent by God.”
Tracy Zahl, a licensed attorney in Oklahoma, was arrested on July 23 and is now facing a kidnapping charge after entering Westminster Presbyterian Church Child Care Center through an unsecured door, according to KSBI.
Investigators say Zahl made her way to the lower level of the building, where she approached a 2-year-old child and said, “Come with me.”
A quick-acting teacher intervened, stopping the child and confronting Zahl, who was then asked to leave. Instead, according to the police report, Zahl followed another group of children to their classroom before being escorted off the premises.
Daycare staff told police that Zahl gave no explanation for her presence other than to say she had been “sent by God to be with the children.”
Police later located Zahl at her home less than a mile away and took her into custody. Officers noted she had no children or relatives enrolled at the daycare and no lawful reason to be inside the facility. Upon her arrest, Zahl reportedly told police, “I made a mistake.”
Zahl’s legal history includes previous disciplinary action.
KFOR reported the Oklahoma Bar Association suspended her for one year in 2011 after she self-reported a felony arrest for prescription forgery. A decade later, in 2021, Zahl was charged with two misdemeanors for allegedly threatening to kill a former employer and a coworker. That former coworker, speaking to KFOR by phone, said, “I trust the court and the bar association to address these allegations of her behavior in an appropriate manner and to protect the public.”
Ed Blau, a legal analyst, told KFOR the case raises serious concerns.
“In this particular case, the fact that a licensed attorney tried to do that is very concerning because we have to assume that that attorney has clients of her own that she’s responsible for,” he said.
Blau also noted that incidents involving attorneys often raise questions about mental health or substance use.
The Oklahoma Bar Association confirmed to KFOR that it is monitoring the case but, citing court rules, declined to comment further on any potential disciplinary investigation.
Zahl is currently being held in the Oklahoma County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
The case remains under investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
‘Sent by God’: Oklahoma Lawyer Accused of Trying to Kidnap Toddler From Daycare
The suspect, a licensed attorney, had no child enrolled at the facility and no legal reason to be there, authorities say.
By Jacob Charles
Published: August 4, 2025 8:00 am ET
Tracy Zahl (via Oklahoma County Jail)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — An Oklahoma City attorney is behind bars after police say she walked into a daycare uninvited and attempted to lure a toddler away, claiming she had been “sent by God.”
Tracy Zahl, a licensed attorney in Oklahoma, was arrested on July 23 and is now facing a kidnapping charge after entering Westminster Presbyterian Church Child Care Center through an unsecured door, according to KSBI.
Investigators say Zahl made her way to the lower level of the building, where she approached a 2-year-old child and said, “Come with me.”
A quick-acting teacher intervened, stopping the child and confronting Zahl, who was then asked to leave. Instead, according to the police report, Zahl followed another group of children to their classroom before being escorted off the premises.
Daycare staff told police that Zahl gave no explanation for her presence other than to say she had been “sent by God to be with the children.”
Police later located Zahl at her home less than a mile away and took her into custody. Officers noted she had no children or relatives enrolled at the daycare and no lawful reason to be inside the facility. Upon her arrest, Zahl reportedly told police, “I made a mistake.”
Zahl’s legal history includes previous disciplinary action.
KFOR reported the Oklahoma Bar Association suspended her for one year in 2011 after she self-reported a felony arrest for prescription forgery. A decade later, in 2021, Zahl was charged with two misdemeanors for allegedly threatening to kill a former employer and a coworker. That former coworker, speaking to KFOR by phone, said, “I trust the court and the bar association to address these allegations of her behavior in an appropriate manner and to protect the public.”
Ed Blau, a legal analyst, told KFOR the case raises serious concerns.
“In this particular case, the fact that a licensed attorney tried to do that is very concerning because we have to assume that that attorney has clients of her own that she’s responsible for,” he said.
Blau also noted that incidents involving attorneys often raise questions about mental health or substance use.
The Oklahoma Bar Association confirmed to KFOR that it is monitoring the case but, citing court rules, declined to comment further on any potential disciplinary investigation.
Zahl is currently being held in the Oklahoma County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
The case remains under investigation.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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