Police say witnesses reported a man wearing a white t-shirt and driving erratically in the stolen truck. That suspect has not been arrested or identified yet.
NEW ORLEANS (WWL-TV) — A 9-month-old baby who was kidnapped in Westwego Friday is safe, after bring dropped off by the suspect in the Hollygrove neighborhood, according to Westwego police.
The child was taken along with a black 2015 Nissan Titan pick-up truck with a Louisiana license plate of C930517. The truck has damage to the right side and a baby on board sticker in the rear window.
The truck was last seen about 1:49 p.m. on Airline Drive in New Orleans headed away from Metairie.
According to police, the infant boy’s father was in the 700 block of Avenue D around 12:30 p.m. when he went inside a house to retrieve some food. According to our partners at The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, the boy’s father was only gone for a few moments, but when he came back out, the truck was gone.
Police say witnesses reported a man wearing a white t-shirt and driving erratically in the stolen truck.
Westwego Assistant Police Chief Jason DiMarco told reporters Friday that the kidnapping was probably accidental, and that car theft was likely the primary motivation.
DiMarco said it was likely a crime of opportunity while the child’s father had run inside to grab food for the infant, and that the car thief likely didn’t realize anybody was in the back seat.
In Hollygrove, the suspect reportedly dropped the baby off at a home, knocking on the door before leaving a family inside to find the child and call the police
“I’ll be glad when this stuff stops. I just pray, and I’m glad that little baby is okay,” one resident of the home said.
That suspect has not been arrested or identified as of Friday afternoon.
Police confirmed that he will face kidnapping and car theft charges when caught.