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Whitefish Police arrest fugitive from California

HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 7 months AGO
by HEIDI DESCH
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | December 11, 2019 2:58 PM

The Whitefish Police Department early Wednesday morning arrested a California physician accused of attempted murder and attempted child abduction.

Whitefish Police and members of the Northwest Drug Task Force at about 5:15 a.m. arrested Dr. Theresa Lynn Colosi, 55, of San Jose, California, according to a release from the police department. Colosi was arrested on a $1 million warrant.

Whitefish Police received a request for assistance from the Santa Barbara, California Sheriff’s Department to arrest Colosi, an orthopedic surgeon, who allegedly assaulted a court appointed observer during a court ordered supervised visit with her child. The observer was seriously injured, police note, but Colosi’s attempt to abduct the child was unsuccessful.

Santa Barbara law enforcement also stated that Colosi had allegedly withdrawn a large amount of cash from one of her accounts and had chartered an aircraft to Glacier Jet Center at Glacier International Airport. Further information indicated that Colosi was staying at an address in Whitefish, officials notes.

Whitefish officers subsequently conducted a surveillance of the Whitefish residence and observed a taxi at approximately 5 a.m. Wednesday morning pick up a woman matching Colosi’s description.

Whitefish patrol officers stopped the vehicle and took Colosi into custody without incident. Colosi is currently being held at the Flathead County Detention Center awaiting extradition to California.

The investigation is ongoing.

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