Alleged car thief in custody accused of abandoning woman's baby along a Houston roadway
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 16-year-old is behind bars, accused of stealing a car with a baby inside and then leaving that young child in an alley way. This happened on Jan. 1, when the temperatures were in the mid-20s.
The frantic search for the 7-month-old began after the child's mother stopped to get gas on Treaschwig Road and Aldine Westfield.
According to Harris County Precinct 4 Constables, the mother told investigators she left baby Allison inside the car as she ran inside the convenience store.
While she was paying, the suspect jumped in the driver's seat and drove off, deputy constables said.
During the search for the black Nissan Sentra, investigators said the baby was found safe in her car seat about six miles away. She was on the side of the road, all alone in the freezing cold on Aldine Westfield near Beltway 8.
Constable Mark Harman said, "Had our deputy not turned down that alleyway, that kid would not have been found until the next morning. It was in the mid-20's that night, coldest day of the year."
It was a pair of tips that led to the arrest of the teen. Because the suspect is a juvenile, we are blurring his face on this surveillance picture. Precinct 4 officials say the picture, blasted on social media, helped bring the tips forward.
The suspect, who is a student at Nimitz High School, was arrested on campus.
He is charged with theft of a motor vehicle and child endangerment. Officers say he is not cooperating, did not answer questions and has not shown any remorse.
The 16-year-old remains in custody and it is now up to the DA's office to determine if the teen will be certified as an adult.
