A preschooler in California was apparently kidnapped by a homeless woman on Friday, but authorities quickly tracked down the pair at a nearby hotel room.
At approximately 12:11 p.m. local time on June 12, authorities received a “frantic call” from a grandmother claiming that her 4-year-old granddaughter had been kidnapped from a Panda Express in Santa Monica. Santa Monica Police.
Police later reviewed surveillance footage and authorities said the suspect was an overweight white woman in her 30s who was walking with her child.
“All available scene resources, including more than 30 officers and civilians, flooded the scene and conducted a search for the suspect,” police said.
Less than 30 minutes later, at 12:37 p.m., officers from the Downtown Service Unit found the girl and the suspect in a room at the Holiday Motel, a block away from the restaurant.
“Thankfully, the child was unharmed and the suspect was taken into custody,” Santa Monica Police confirmed.
The suspect, later identified as Breanna Taylor Shields, 31, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping.
Shields was living at the Holiday Motel and appeared to be homeless. KTLA5 reports.
“Our hearts go out to the girl and her family as they deal with the shock of this ordeal,” police said. “We will do everything we can to help them get through this period and will exhaust all resources in our investigation.”
The Santa Monica Police Department did not immediately respond to a request from The Washington Post seeking an update on the incident.
A few weeks before the kidnapping, a Santa Monica resident told KTLA 5. They were concerned about rising crime in the area.
Mayor Phil Bullock has requested emergency funding to increase police presence in commercial and residential areas of the city, but is also seeking help from the courts, the district attorney and the state, the outlet reported.
“Some of the same crime patterns, the same thefts, the same behaviors are coming from crazy homeless people with drug addictions and mental illnesses,” Block said. [also] “It’s people coming from across the border saying, ‘Santa Monica is profitable, let’s make money here.’
