Charges dismissed for Maryland aunt accused of harboring missing child

The charges against a Baltimore aunt accused of harboring her missing nephew have been dismissed, the City State's Attorney said Wednesday. 

Denise Day, 60, was initially charged in March with abducting a child and abduction by a relative after police said she confessed to helping her 9-year-old nephew, Tristan King, elude police for about five months.

In April, prosecutors dropped the felony charges against Day, and on Wednesday, they said prosecuting Day "is not in the interest of public safety." 

Search for missing child

Day was arrested after King was found by Baltimore Police inside a home in the Curtis Bay area after a multi-agency investigation. He was reported missing on Sept. 254, 2025, and was found in March. 

Prosecutors said Wednesday that King was found "clinging to his aunt, underscoring the significant role she played in his life." 

Day later confessed to harboring King after he ran from a Maryland Department of Human Services caseworker, according to our partners at the Baltimore Banner. 

Day had been assigned as King's legal guardian after his grandmother had a stroke, and he was later placed with the Department of Human Services after Day gave him up. 

After undergoing medical and psychological evaluations, King was placed in a treatment foster home for children with behavioral and medical conditions, city officials said. 

Charges dismissed

Prosecutors called the decision to dismiss the charges against Day "the appropriate and legally justified course of action." 

According to court officials, Day needs mental health treatment and intervention, not incarceration. 

"This case highlights a family in crisis, not a continuing threat to the community," the state's attorney's office said in a statement. 

"With the proper treatment, accountability, and support systems in place, Ms. Day may once again be able to provide stability and be a positive presence for him in the future," the statement continued.