Toddler allegedly kidnapped, taken by train from Macon to New Jersey. Four arrested
.jpg "Four people were arrested after a toddler was allegedly kidnapped and put on a train from Macon to New Jersey.")
Four people were arrested weeks after they allegedly kidnapped a 2-year-old and sent her on a train from Macon, Ga. to New Jersey, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
The mother didn’t know or consent to the toddler being taken out of state, the sheriff’s office said.
The mother called 911 in Macon around midnight on Jan. 28, after the father, 30-year-old Dashawn Rashard Sarratt, told her the child was taken to New Jersey, according to an incident report.
The mother had full legal custody of the child, an incident report said.
Before the alleged kidnapping, the toddler reportedly “ingested bleach solution that had been diluted with water” while in Sarratt’s care, an incident report said.
After this, the mother agreed that Sarratt’s cousin, 24-year-old Samiyah Cunningham of Macon, would “temporarily keep the toddler until she was to be moved to another location,” a news release from the sheriff’s office said. The agreement was made under the Macon-Bibb County Department of Human Services.
The mother still had full legal custody of the toddler while in Samiyah Cunningham’s care, and the child was not allowed to leave Georgia, an incident report said.
But during that time, four people allegedly “conspired and had the child transported to New Jersey by train” to live with Sarratt’s mother, 50-year-old Kiesha Burno, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sarratt, Samiyah Cunningham and her mother, 49-year-old Shinikka Cunningham of New Jersey, also allegedly took part in the conspiracy, deputies said.
Child recovered in New Jersey
When the 2-year-old arrived in New Jersey, Burno allegedly lied in a New Jersey court to get custody of the child, an incident report said.
She told the Hudson County, NJ. Superior Court in an emergency custody hearing that the Macon-Bibb County Department of Human Services “asked her to come and get the child,” which was untrue, the sheriff’s office said.
Bruno “fraudulently obtained a temporary custodial order,” a news release from the sheriff’s office said.
New Jersey Protection Services then notified the Macon-Bibb County Department of Human Services that the toddler was illegally living with Burno.
Arrests made by US Marshal’s Task Force
The four suspects were arrested by a Bibb County special response team deputy, the U.S. Marshal’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the New York-New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force.
“The child was recovered and is safe,” deputies said.
Samiyah Cunningham and Sarratt were arrested Tuesday, Feb. 11. Shinikka Cunningham and Burno were arrested Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Sarratt, Burno and the Cunningham’s were charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a felony and interstate interference with custody. Sarratt was also charged with violating probation.
The case was still under investigation Tuesday afternoon.
This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 4:36 PM.
