A newly filed probable-cause affidavit made public Wednesday shows a Michigan woman accused of leaving the state with her missing 6-year-old son gave an Evanston cop fake names for both of them Monday, then took off with the boy in her SUV and led police on a chase that sent the vehicle airborne twice.
Marisa Calliea, 30, allegedly told Evanston Police Officer Nikoli Knezovich she was “Maria Peters” and the boy was “Will Peters” after an anonymous tip led the officer to the pair at Walmart.
When Knezovich tried to verify their identities, police say Calliea bolted.
With the 6-year-old still inside, Calliea sped past pedestrians, ran a red light, drove the wrong way down Front Street and cut off another driver before hitting the intersection of Main and Second streets hard enough to launch the GMC Terrain into the air.
Even then, police say, she kept going.
The chase ended a short distance later with Calliea pulled from the driver's seat and in handcuffs. Officers then confirmed the boy inside was Liam Malburg, a 6-year-old reported missing from Michigan.
Anonymous Tip
Knezovich wrote that he was dispatched to Walmart at about 9:49 a.m. Monday after an anonymous caller reported seeing the 6-year-old enter the store with a woman in her 30s.
The caller also described their vehicle as a GMC Terrain.
Knezovich found a gray 2014 Terrain sitting empty in the eastern half of the parking lot.
Rather than crowd the vehicle, he parked farther away and waited.
About 30 minutes later, the woman and boy walked out.
Knezovich approached and later identified the woman as Calliea.
He wrote that she told him he had the wrong person; the child was hers, and she hadn't done anything wrong.
The officer told her he simply needed to make sure the boy had not been reported missing.
She Took Off
While Knezovich tried to check the names through his mobile computer, Calliea allegedly got into the GMC and started it.
He told her to get back out, which she did — briefly.
Then, police say, she got back behind the wheel and sped away through the Walmart parking lot.
Knezovich hit his lights and siren, and followed.
The pursuit initially tore across the Walmart lot, where Calliea accelerated past people crossing in front of the store at speeds between 20 and 40 mph.
She then headed onto Evanston streets. Police estimated the GMC hit 50 mph as Calliea drove south and southeast on Second Street before running a red light.
She turned onto Front Street and began wrong-way driving, heading northwest in lanes meant for southeast-bound traffic.
Police say she then turned left from the wrong side of the road and cut off a red sedan. The chase continued onto Main Street, First Street, Center Street and back toward Second.
The affidavit notes the GMC hit the intersection going fast enough to launch into the air twice, triggering the driver's side airbags.
Calliea kept going for a short distance before finally stopping just before Front Street.
Pulled From The SUV
Knezovich wrote that Calliea opened the driver's door but did not get out despite repeated commands.
He grabbed her left arm and pulled the 110-pound woman from the vehicle.
She did not physically resist once removed and was handcuffed. The boy was still inside, court records show.
Because of the crash, officers called for medical personnel to check on him.
Calliea was arrested at 11:14 a.m., less than 90 minutes after police first received the anonymous Walmart tip.
Then Sgt. Chad Asay called the registered owner of the GMC. The owner identified Calliea and gave officers the child's real name, along with the name of his father.
Police ran the child's information.
The result came back as a “MISSING PERSON INVOLUNTARY” entry from Oakland County, Michigan. Dispatch confirmed the alert was valid.
The same check also gave officers Calliea's identifying information, and police say her driver's license was listed as revoked indefinitely.
The 6-year-old was safely returned to his father.
His father, Justin Malburg, posted on social media at 3:06 p.m. Monday that Liam had been found “safe and sound,” crediting “an anonymous tip” and “the sharpness of a Wyoming officer” along with the many people who shared Liam’s missing-child flyer and reported tips.
A Different Account
The registered owner of the GMC also gave police some background on why Calliea might have been traveling.
He told officers Calliea is his stepdaughter and that she was dealing with a custody dispute involving the boy's father.
He told investigators Calliea recently called him and said she was having problems with Liam’s father, including custody issues. Calliea told the family member she did not feel safe and alleged Liam’s father choked her, the affidavit says.
The family member said he suggested Calliea take a vacation to get away from the situation for a while and gave her money for the trip. He told police he did not know where she planned to go.
Those claims came from the family member recounting what Calliea had told him. The affidavit does not indicate Evanston police independently verified her allegations against Liam’s father.
Six Charges
Calliea is now charged in Uinta County Circuit Court with six misdemeanors: Fleeing or attempting to elude police, child endangerment, interference with a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, and driving while her license was canceled, suspended or revoked.
If convicted across the board, Calliea could theoretically spend as long as 4½ years behind bars and pay $5,250 in fines if a judge stacked the maximum sentences back-to-back.
Deputy Uinta County and Prosecuting Attorney Michael Greenwood filed the information Tuesday.
Police say officers found about 2.35 grams of suspected marijuana inside a black Angry Gorilla package while inventorying the GMC. A field test returned a presumptive positive result for THC.
Calliea was taken to Evanston Regional Hospital. She remained in the Uinta County Detention Center after her arrest.
She signed a notice Monday acknowledging her right to ask a judge to release her from jail, but as of Wednesday, the inmate roster showed she was still in custody.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
