Police find infant in West Milwaukee alley after mother's car was stolen
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Police are searching for a stolen vehicle that the victim said had a 3-week-old baby inside at the time of the theft.
According to the West Milwaukee Police Department, on Aug. 3 around 10:36 p.m., the department received a call for a vehicle theft at the West Milwaukee Speedway. The victim told police at the scene her child was still inside. A short time later, police located the infant unharmed in the alley rear of the 3000 block of W. National Avenue. The infant was then returned to her mother.
"You know it's bad enough that you're stealing a car but when you take a 3-week-old baby and just set them in an alley, that raises a lot of concern for me about what this young man was thinking. I mean had some Citizen not seen that, what would have happened to that three-week-old?" said Nasci.
Police say no force was used in the taking of the vehicle. As of Aug. 4 at 1:05 a.m., police are still searching for the stolen car, a white 2016 Lexus EX with a Wisconsin license plate.
"The mom and baby last reported to me, they were doing well, they were reunited," said Chief Dennis Nasci of the West Milwaukee Police Department. "She was still pretty shook up and I can imagine if someone takes off in your car and you have a 3-week old in there, that's pretty scary."
Jose Manuel lives near the alley on South 30th Street.
He told CBS 58 he saw a person take the baby out of the car, place it on the hood of a car in the alley, and drive away.
The baby fell off the hood of the car and started crying -
That's when Manuel's wife called 911.
Jose Manuel saw the suspect leave the baby in the alley. He said, "I got in my car and a neighbor there also got in his car and then he got out of his car and then threw the girl on the trunk back there."
Manuel said, "The child was crying and crying when the police arrived."
The terrifying incident -- a reminder that car thieves are looking for easy targets -- and might not be thinking about who is in the backseat.
"You just gotta realize that even though you're in a well-lit, with a lot of other people in the area, you should just go ahead and turn your car off and take your keys out of the ignition," said Nasci.
The police are still working to get a clear description of the suspect.
We do know the stolen car is a white 2016 Lexus ES, Wisconsin license plate 117-ZML.
If you have any information related to the incident you're asked to call the West Milwaukee Police Department at 414-645-2151 or Crime Stoppers at 414-476-2274.