NEW ORLEANS — Michelle Robair says it was a joyous moment of relief when she and her family were reunited with her grandson Tuesday night after he was kidnapped by a woman who jumped into a car left running with the child inside.
Thankfully, the car was spotted a short time later across town and police were able to quickly reunite the family with the 10-year-old.
“I jumped out the car we all just started running to him and grabbing him,” Robair said.
A man had left his car running on South Peters Street, near Canal Street, while the 10-year-old boy was inside, according to the NOPD. Police said that while the man went into a business, a woman, identified as 31-year-old Shanita Baker, got in the car and drove off with the boy in the backseat. Baker eventually drove to the 3100 block of Gentilly Boulevard, about four miles from where she got in the car, where police say she was arrested and the boy was found unharmed.
Robair says the car was locked. It’s unclear how Baker got in.
“You see this everyday you never think it will hit home like this,” Robair said.
When Robair got the call, she says she dropped everything and picked up her daughter. She says they were on the phone with both NOPD and BMW, tracking the car.
According to Robair, her grandson hasn’t said much about the incident, but told them Baker was smoking marijuana and told him to lay down in the back.
“She needs to be prosecuted to the fullest because it could have turned out real bad,” Robair said of Baker.
Robair said the boy is doing okay and is surrounded by love after this scary incident.
Now she has a message for parents.
“Parents please do not leave your kid in the car, to go to the gas station to go to the grocery store. Take those kids with you it’s dangerous out here, it’s not safe don’t leave them in the car. Don’t leave them in your car,” she said.
She’s thankful to NOPD for finding the boy so quickly and arresting Baker. According to documents obtained by WWLTV, Baker is now facing second degree kidnapping, illegal possession of stolen automobile and theft of a motor vehicle.