Arrest made after car with toddler inside stolen from Kansas City gas station
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City man is behind bars after investigators tracked down a stolen vehicle with a toddler inside and found him at a nearby bus stop.
Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court records filed on Saturday, June 7, indicate that Antione L. Hayes, 45, of Kansas City, has been charged after he allegedly abandoned both the stolen vehicle and the toddler.
A probable cause statement filed by the Kansas City Police Department revealed that just before 1:20 p.m. on Friday, law enforcement officials were flagged down by a woman who reported her gold Chevrolet Malibu had been stolen with her 2-year-old son inside.
Investigators noted that the woman reported she had been inside the Conoco gas station for 90 seconds when her car was stolen from pump #4. Her phone, which was still pinging from inside the car, led officers to find it abandoned nearby. The toddler was found unharmed in the back seat.
Law enforcement officials indicated that surveillance footage revealed the suspect to be an older man who was spotted at a nearby bus stop. As officers approached, the man, later identified as Hayes, attempted to walk away but was ultimately taken into custody.
During an interview with investigators, KD said Hayes itted that he watched the woman walk inside before he got in the car and stole it. He got a few blocks away when he looked in the rearview mirror and saw a child in the backseat. He immediately pulled over and abandoned both the vehicle and the child.
As a result, Hayes has been charged with tampering with a motor vehicle and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison and be ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
A bond review hearing has been set for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, with a preliminary hearing expected at 2 p.m. on July 9. As of Tuesday afternoon, June 10, Hayes remains behind bars on a $30,000 bond. No further information has been released.
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