An attempted kidnapping in broad daylight at a Santee shopping center has led to the arrest of a California woman. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department confirmed that a suspect attempted to kidnap a one-year-old from a shopping cart on Monday. The child, who was buckled in securely, remained unharmed as the suspect made a failed getaway on foot.
Authorities say the incident unfolded just before 6 p.m. on November 20, when the parents of the child were loading up their car in front of a store on Town Center Parkway. A woman described as being around 40 years old with long blond hair, roughly 5'7", and of thin build—donning a possibly stripe-adorned black sweatshirt jacket and blue jeans—had tried to pull the child from the cart. The quick-thinking parents' instincts to secure their child with a lap belt may have been what spared their child from an uncertain fate. Witnesses described the suspect as a white woman, and Deputies, supported by a Sheriff's ASTREA helicopter, scoured the area in search before she disappeared.
It was the community's vigilance, coupled with law enforcement diligence, that led to a break in the case. Less than 24 hours later, on the night of November 21, Isela Ortega, born on August 19, 1992, was apprehended in the 400 block of Orsett Street in Chula Vista. She is facing a charge of attempted kidnapping as updated by the department.
"The San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the Santee Sheriff's Station would like to thank the public and the media for their assistance and cooperation," a department spokesperson expressed.
The Sheriff's Department continues to encourage anyone with further information on the matter to reach out. Anonymous tipsters can call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477, where a reward of up to $1,000 awaits information leading to an arrest in relation to the case. The Santee Sheriff's Station can be directly contacted at (619) 956-4000.
