Sorensen says she ‘misinterpreted’ what took place when she made Petaluma attempted kidnap claim

Katie Sorensen told a Sonoma County Superior Court jury Thursday she didn’t understand what was happening the day authorities say she falsely claimed a couple tried to abduct her children from a Petaluma store.

Testifying on the third day of her ongoing trial in Santa Rosa, she said apprehension and uneasiness about the COVID-19 pandemic influenced her understanding of her surroundings.

She said she had her own doubts about what happened at the Michaels crafts store on North McDowell Boulevard on Dec. 7, 2020 and she initially told police she wasn’t interested in pursuing arrests or charges.

“My intent was to report behavior that I felt was suspicious,” Sorensen said on the stand Thursday.

Time and evidence, she said, helped her confirm her children were never in danger.

“My opinion is that I misinterpreted the events that day,” she said.

The prosecution contends Sorensen falsely accused Eddie and Sadie Martinez of trying to kidnap her then-4-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter because she wanted to bolster her profile as a social media influencer.

And well before investigators concluded her statements were fabricated, she had already gained national attention via an Instagram video she’d posted talking about her allegations.

The viral video was viewed more than 4 million times and led to thousands of additional followers for her, the prosecution added.

Upon taking the stand, Sorensen tried to identify herself as a mother before being told to just state her name. She often turned her head and spoke directly to jurors.

When questioned by her defense attorney, Charles Dresow, she frequently used “apprehension” and “uneasy” to describe herself on Dec. 7.

She stressed that she really believed someone was following her and was concerned for her children, particularly her son, who is autistic.

Guilt overcame her for not handling the situation properly, Sorensen testified, and that compelled her to film the Instagram video and encourage other parents to be mindful of their children and surroundings.

“I felt I had dropped the ball in protecting my kids,” she testified.

Sorensen acknowledged the video negatively affected the Martinezes, as well as her family and expedited her move out of California.

At Michaels

Charged in April 2021, Sorensen has pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor counts of making a false report of a crime. If convicted, she could be sentenced to as many as six months in jail for each count or a maximum of 18 months in jail.

In her Instagram video and in her statements to police, Sorensen claimed the couple followed her while inside Michaels and could be overheard making comments about her children.

According to witness testimony, Sorensen told authorities they followed her outside, where they were joined by someone in a white van, but they all left after she called out to two other people nearby.

Surveillance footage showed Sorensen, the Martinezes and the unidentified van driver were all parked nearby but never interacted with each other.

Footage also confirmed there was no interaction between Sorensen and two passersby, an elderly man and his caretaker. These were the people she claimed she called out to after she said she was approached by the Martinezes and the van driver.

Sadie and Eddie Martinez each testified they never met Sorensen before Dec. 7, while authorities said the van driver, elderly man and caretaker were never located.

A full investigation was launched a week later after her Instagram video surfaced and investigators said it included details that weren’t initially presented to them.

They specifically pointed out that she said in the video that the couple tried to grab her son’s stroller.

According to testimony, investigators later showed Sorensen surveillance footage from Michaels and she positively identified the then-unknown couple as the people who tried to take her children.

Petaluma police circulated the footage and the Martinezes came forward.

Police later announced Sorensen’s claims were without merit and cleared the Martinezes of any alleged wrongdoing.

Testimony disputed

During cross examination Thursday, Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner disputed many of Sorensen’s statements.

For clarity, he stated it was now clear the Martinezes never tried to kidnap Sorensen’s children and she concurred.

“You were wrong about that?” Waner asked.

“Correct,” Sorensen responded.

Regarding her claims of apprehension and uneasiness, Waner said no records from before Dec. 7 show Sorensen was being treated for anxiety, experienced panic attacks or had medication that altered her perception or kept her from driving her children to a store.

He argued Sorensen purposely planned her video and dressed for the occasion, but she countered it was a spontaneous act while in her vehicle outside a Target.

Waner, though, disputed the notion that she never intended to benefit from her Instagram video.

Earlier in Thursday’s proceedings, prosecution witness Ed Crosby testified Sorensen had launched a blog, “Motherhood Essentials,” on July 28, 2020 — less than five months before her trip to Michaels.

Crosby, an investigator with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office who was a Petaluma police lieutenant in 2020, described it as a “mommy blog.”

Records and images on social media portrayed her as an aspiring influencer whose target audience was mothers.

One image showed her standing outside a theater carrying a sign that called for an end to human trafficking.

While not referenced in court, Sorensen, according to court records filed by the prosecution, was ”in significant engagement with QAnon conspiracy theories, which tend to center around kidnappers and pedophiles.“

Waner emphasized Sorensen’s Instagram account had about 3,000 followers before her video went viral.

“Rapidly, it received an audience that was greater than your 3,000 followers,” Waner said.

Records show Sorensen was also interviewed by KTVU reporter Henry K. Lee after her video went viral, but before police concluded the attempted kidnapping never happened.

Sorensen said she was trying to escape attention and only did the interview to make KTVU go away, but Waner countered that would’ve had the opposite effect.

Waner and Dresow both rested their cases Thursday and closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi