Utah case raises the question: vigilantism or protecting kids?

SOUTH SALT LAKE — It's a case that has sparked strong emotions and debate over the rights of parents protecting their children versus vigilante justice gone too far.

And that's just the tip of the controversy.

When both sides enter a 3rd District courtroom Thursday for a scheduled preliminary hearing, each will present their cases regarding two charges of child kidnapping.

The complicated story began July 4, when police here arrested a man for allegedly kidnapping two children from the home of his next-door neighbor. David James "DJ" Bell was later charged with the child kidnapping as well as second-degree felony burglary for allegedly entering the children's home when he took them.

Police say the children were in Bell's house for five to 10 minutes, and they were not molested or physically harmed.

But the stories being told by each side about what happened that night are as different as night and day. The only points that all sides seem to agree on is that two children, ages 2 and 4, were found that morning in Bell's house, and that Bell and his partner, Dan Fair, subsequently were viciously beaten by the children's parents.

After that, there has been much disagreement over what charges were — and were not — filed. Just as controversial as the kidnapping charges was the Salt Lake County District Attorney's decision not to file felony assault charges against the parents of the children who delivered the fierce beating.

What happened?

The answers to how the children ended up in Bell's house depend on whom you ask.

Both sides agree that on the night of July 3 extending into the morning hours of July 4, the parents of the young children were having a party at their house, near 400 East and 2900 South. For a while, Bell, who lives next door to the parents, attended the party.

"He was hanging out with us for four hours," said the children's mother, Tlulu Latu.

About 6:30 a.m., Latu said she went to check on the children inside the house and discovered they were missing, according to court documents. That's when she heard the children crying next door in Bell's residence. She rushed and found the children in Bell's bedroom.

Although court documents say Bell admitted in his post-Miranda statement that he "brought the children ... to his residence," friends, family members and Bell's attorney, Roger Kraft, say the children were not kidnapped and that, in fact, Bell was trying to help them.