Overview
- A woman reported that her running car was stolen with her 2-year-old inside Thursday, and she called 911 to report the child missing.
- Atlanta officers used the city's license-plate reader system to locate the stolen vehicle, the suspect and the child in about 15 minutes in a parking lot roughly three miles from the theft site.
- Police arrested 21-year-old Saleem Martin at the scene and charged him with kidnapping, theft by taking, simple battery, entering an automobile, cruelty to children and criminal attempt to commit a felony; he was denied bond and is due back for a pre-indictment preliminary hearing on Aug. 24.
- The department released the 911 audio and body-worn camera video that show officers ordering the suspect from the car and consoling the crying toddler, who was found unharmed and reunited with her parents.
- Some additional allegations appear in the Fulton County arrest warrant and media reports—such as claims the child's dress was unbuttoned and that the suspect had his hands on the child—but police say the investigation is ongoing and those warrant details have not been independently confirmed; the case highlights both the danger of leaving children unattended in running vehicles and the speed of tracking technology in recoveries.