CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Norfolk man was arrested and charged after an investigation into a February car theft and baby's abduction.
Antonio Obrien Reid, 21, faces charges of felony child neglect, abduction, vehicle theft, larceny with intent to sell and possession of a stolen vehicle.
A search warrant filed in the case names Reid as a suspect in a "serial ring of car thefts." In the warrant, Chesapeake Police investigators detailed how another car theft helped police arrest Reid in this case.
On Feb. 3, someone stole an SUV from a Wawa on Western Branch Boulevard, with three-month-old Vanessa Dasilva still in a car seat in the back seat.
Officials later said she had been found in Norfolk before the amber alert was even issued, because of technical reporting issues with the Virginia State Police hotline.
Around 6:50 a.m., a sailor coming home from an overnight shift found Vanessa in her baby carrier, outside, at the Parkwood Manor apartment complex. She was unharmed.
Petty Officer Devyn Drake, who found the baby, said it was just starting to snow when she found her.
According to a search warrant, Chesapeake Police investigators said Reid drove a stolen Volkswagen to the Chesapeake Wawa parking lot on February 3, left it, and then stole a running car with baby Vanessa inside in her car seat.
Police said about 15 minutes later, Reid stopped and left baby Vanessa outside at a Norfolk apartment complex and then parked the stolen car about five minutes away.
The search warrant says a witness called and told police that Reid stole the Dasilva's car. Officers found the car parked right outside of Reid’s house.
About two weeks later, Portsmouth Police arrested Reid for a different car theft and Chesapeake Police said they found evidence of the car theft and abduction of baby Vanessa on Reid’s phone.
Reid is being held in jail. The Chesapeake Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office is prosecuting, and Reid’s next court hearing is July 28.