A Kalamazoo woman has been charged after allegedly stealing a car with an eight-month-old child inside. The incident, which sparked an immediate police response, was resolved within an hour when the child was found safe and the suspect arrested.
According to News Channel 3, Shyann Sherelle Sanchez, 25, was arraigned on charges that include unlawful imprisonment and child abandonment. The Portage Department of Public Safety reported that the 2012 Audi Q7, also carrying the infant identified as Onnesty Johnson, was taken from a driveway on Green Forest Drive near Romence Road.
The search for the missing child intensified quickly, with law enforcement deploying significant resources. "Officers treated the incident as a kidnapping," said authorities, as noted by News Channel 3. The response included a review of a neighbor's Ring camera footage, which helped identify Sanchez, who had been visiting someone at the home before the incident. The charges Sanchez is facing reflect the gravity of the situation, carrying a combined potential sentence of more than 30 years if convicted.
Meanwhile, WZZM 13 reports that the Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer found the vehicle, with the child inside, backed into a driveway on the 600 block of Oak Street. The suspect was apprehended shortly after at a nearby motel.
The suspect is currently being held in custody as law enforcement continues to investigate her motives. In a statement obtained by FOX 17 News, Portage Public Safety credited multiple agencies for their "swift and coordinated efforts" in ensuring a quick and safe resolution to a potential kidnapping crisis.
