1-year-old found safe after mother’s car is stolen in Georgia, police say
UPDATE:
Dekalb County police announced that 1-year-old Royalty Grisby has been found safe.
The girl was found crying on the porch of a home in DeKalb County, prompting a neighbor to alert the homeowner, who called police.
A 14-year-old suspect is charged with kidnapping and theft by motor vehicle, authorities said.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A frantic search is underway for a 1-year-old girl taken when thieves sped away in her mother’s car early Thursday, according to Georgia authorities.
DeKalb County police located the stolen SUV hours later in Stone Mountain, but said baby Royalty Grisby is still missing.
Authorities have since identified and arrested a 14-year-old suspected in what police believe may have been a set up for a robbery.
“The child was not in the (recovered) vehicle at the time,” DeKalb police Capt. Brian Deloach told reporters at a 9:15 a.m. news conference. “So right now we have several assets and resources in the area searching for the child and the perpetrators.”
Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the child, who was in the backseat of her mom’s SUV on Thursday, 11Alive reported. The girl’s mother is a driver for Uber Eats and was making a delivery around 2 a.m. when she said two men jumped into the running car and drove off with the little girl still inside.
At a morning news conference, she pleaded for the safe return of her daughter.
“I just want my baby home,” she said, according to WSB-TV. “You can take her to the hospital, take her to a store, just bring her home. I don’t care about anything with the car. I just want my baby back.”
At the time, police didn’t give a description of the suspects but said they’re believed to be male. Deloach also could not confirm whether the child’s car seat was still in the vehicle when officers found it Thursday morning.
Authorities said Royalty was last seen wearing a purple shirt, purple pants and pink jacket.
Anyone with information on the incident or the 1-year-old’s whereabouts is asked to call 911.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 11:28 AM.