Probable cause? arrests?

[mano]

Hello!

I am a student with a writing class. Our finals are coming up soon and my final story involves some police procedures I'm not quite sure about and would like your help.

An officer is dispatched after a person, mother, calls in a report of her child being kidnapped out of her home. I would assume the officer going to the home would look around and find as many clues as to what happened and ask questions. It would turn out that the mother, like the many young mother cases we've seen on the news lately(Casey Anthony/Haleigh Cummings/JonBonet) killed her young child, but of course to cover it up, she doesn't flat out say it right up front to the officer.
I would assume for a suspect trying to cover her tracks, she doesn't really want him to look around. Or if he does, he finds a few things that would come back and bite her on the ass. Like the window in the child's room being broken out.
Even if things are a bit fishy, would he arrest her right there if she's saying she didn't do it and getting all defensive or would investigators ask around first just in case if someone else actually did it.
If she doesn't let him look around, I would assume he would seek out a search warrent. Who would grant him a search warrent? Even if she claims innocence, would he still interrogate her at the station or at her house?

Thank you for any answers you can provide!

[ParadeRest]

I guess it depends on how you articulate it but I don't think a search warrant would be necessary in this case - it's an exigency.

Arrest her if things are fishy? Being fishy is not a charge.

[GoDirectly2Jail]

I'm sure your story for this class does not hinge on what is or is not proper procedure. Just write a good story and nobody will care.

[Piggy]

Arrest her if things are fishy? Being fishy is not a charge.

What if you called the local Conservation Officer????

[mano]

I'm sure your story for this class does not hinge on what is or is not proper procedure. Just write a good story and nobody will care.

yah, it's not so much professional so I guess I can wing it a little. Thanks!

[Sierra]

Hello!

If she doesn't let him look around, I would assume he would seek out a search warrent. Who would grant him a search warrent? Even if she claims innocence, would he still interrogate her at the station or at her house?

Thank you for any answers you can provide!

Judges issue criminal search warrants.

Interview location would depend on the officer. Suspect more at ease in home, officer more in control in station.

[DeltaV]

It's common practice to look through the house of any child reported missing, as they have a tendency to hide sometimes. If during that search for the child you found something that would link the mother to a crime, a search warrant then should be attained before searching for further evidence (however the search for the child could go on without a warrant).

[ParadeRest]

It's common practice to look through the house of any child reported missing, as they have a tendency to hide sometimes. If during that search for the child you found something that would link the mother to a crime, a search warrant then should be attained before searching for further evidence (however the search for the child could go on without a warrant).

Good way of explaining what I tried to summarize (balloon boy!)