Toddler kidnapped at gunpoint found safe, suspects arrested
Click here for updates on this story
CHAMBLEE, GA (WGCL) — A 1-year-old child was found safe after a violent kidnapping in broad daylight in Chamblee Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday morning, Chamblee police released the names and photos of a man and woman arrested in connection to the kidnapping.
According to Chamblee police, Maynor Dario Valera Zuniga and Kristin Nicole Valera Zuniga were arrested in connection to the kidnapping. They are currently being held at the DeKalb County jail, police said.
Online jail records indicated Maynor was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, and battery. Nicole, according to online jail records, was charged with kidnapping.
The charges came after the FBI and Chamblee Police were called to the site of the kidnapping around 12:30 p.m. Saturday. A mother was walking with her child, Mateo Alejandro Montufar-Barrera, in a stroller near her apartment at 8 Clairview Drive when a man exited a maroon-colored 2003 Acura MDX and kidnapped the child at gunpoint.
The suspect, described as a Hispanic male in his mid-20’s, pointed a gun into the mother’s hip as he looked into the stroller. When he attempted to grab the child, the mother managed to take his gun and attempted to fire at him, but the gun did not go off.
It was then that a second suspect exited the vehicle and kidnapped the child.
Reports said the mother managed to tear off a piece of the first suspect’s pants and also took one of his shoes during the altercation.
The vehicle was reported as having a Georgia tag, with plate number RTJ0253.
An amber alert was issued as authorities continued searching for the suspects. Reports came in late Saturday afternoon that the child was found safe, and authorities had made an arrest.
During the investigation, Georgia State Patrol officers was contacted by Chamblee Police because the tag of the vehicle involved with the Amber Alert call was picked up on a tag reader in Carroll County, a PIO spokesperson told CBS46 News.
According to investigators, officers gave GSP an address possibly associated with the vehicle in Carroll County. Police then arrested the two suspects involved in this case.
This is an active investigation; stay with CBS46 for more details as they become available.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
