A baby has been safely returned to her mother, and a Utah man is in custody after a reported kidnapping Tuesday.
According to American Fork police, the 1-year-old girl’s mother reported that someone came in through the back door of her home about 6:30 a.m. and took her daughter. She said she heard the baby crying as a vehicle drove off.
The woman told police that a 25-year-old man — who is not the baby’s father — had been stalking her. American Fork officers traced the suspect to an address in Lindon, according to a probable cause statement, and as Lindon police were on their way to the home, the suspect’s sister called 911 to report she had found a baby outside.
The baby — described by police as “lethargic” — was transported to a hospital as a precaution and later released to her parents.
The suspect’s family members told police he has “a history of mental illness, including schizophrenia.” When he was interviewed by police, the man said he was at a recreation center in Pleasant Grove when the baby was abducted, and that when he arrived home, he found the child in his driveway.
According to the probable cause statement, police reviewed security video from the recreation center and did not see the suspect there. Security video from a gas station near the baby’s home showed a car, believed to belong to the suspect, headed toward Lindon at about 6:40 a.m. And surveillance video from a home near the suspect’s residence showed his car leaving the area at about 6:18 a.m. and returning at about 7:10 a.m.
The suspect’s sister told police she heard a baby crying when she woke up shortly after 7 a.m. on Tuesday. She looked outside and saw the baby on the ground wearing only a onesie in the 30-degree weather. Her brother was nearby. According to police, there was no child car seat in the suspect’s vehicle.
Pending formal charges, the suspect was booked into the Utah County jail for investigation of child kidnapping, child abuse and burglary. He is being held without bail.
