A harrowing incident came to a head in Oakland yesterday, where quick police action led to the recovery of a kidnapped 2-year-old and the arrest of a suspected car thief with a history of similar offenses.
The drama began on California Avenue in San Pablo, when a woman's vehicle, with her toddler inside, was snatched. The San Pablo Police Department swiftly responded after the report at 1:25 pm, the department reported. Surveillance video quickly identified the suspect as a female, who was spotted driving the stolen vehicle.
Help came from the Richmond Police, who found the car abandoned with the child safe and sound. The reunion of mother and child soon followed. Investigators kept their momentum, using the victim's cell phone left in the car to track the suspect to Oakland.
At the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Avenue, officers identified the culprit, Joy Taueetia, 35, of Oakland, accompanying by two unidentified females entering another vehicle, a white 2016 Hyundai Tucson, which was later found to be stolen. Upon trying to stop the car, a brief chase ensued ending with the suspects abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot. While the driver, Taueetia, was detained, the other two accomplices remain at large, Henry K. Lee reported.
Confirmed as the kidnapper from San Pablo, Taueetia, who has auto-theft priors, was arrested and charged with vehicle theft and kidnapping. The authorities are investigating the involvement of other suspects, and have urged anyone with information to step forward.
