Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Mother's arms: Baby abduction in East St. Louis ends well

EAST ST. LOUIS -- A suspect was arrested Saturday morning after police said he crept in through a window at a housing complex early Saturday and took off with a 5-month-old baby girl.

Aja Moran was back with her mother and the suspect — a 26-year-old East St. Louis man — was in custody just before 10 a.m. Saturday.

The family said the suspect crawled into the apartment in Building 47 of the John Robinson Public Housing Complex while the occupants were asleep early Saturday. He took Aja and fled.

The suspect, who has no prior criminal history, was arrested later Saturday morning and brought to the East St. Louis Police station with Aja, where the baby was reunited with her mother, Antionette Moran. She said she did not know the suspect.

Det. Sgt. Gilda Johnson said police plan to seek charges against the suspect, who is an associate of of Antionette Moran's sister's male friend. He took the child because he "appeared to take a special interest in the child," Johnson said.

The child was taken to a hospital to be checked out but appeared to be in excellent condition, police said.

Moran said she called police at 6:30 a.m. and called her pastor to ask for her daughter's safe return.

"Prayer works," Moran said as she smiled broadly with Aja in her arms.

Moran said she was asleep Saturday morning and didn't immediately realize what happened. She heard Aja crying, heard the door slam and then didn't hear Aja anymore.

"Those were the scariest moments of my life," she said. She thought Aja would be molested or possibly found dead.

The suspect was arrested at an apartment in Belleville.

"I never thought anything like this could happen to me," Moran said. "I want him prosecuted. I don't know this man. I don't know him at all."

Moran's sister, Tammy Moran, said she believes the abduction was tied to a dispute earlier Saturday, but why the suspect decided to make the baby a part of it neither of the sisters understood.

The sisters and other relatives were at the apartment together when some of Antionette's money came up missing. There was a verbal fight that involved the suspect and police were called.

Tammy Moran said when she left the apartment at 4 a.m. she thought she saw the suspect lurking outside.

"I don't understand what his plan was," Tammy Moran said. "What was he going to do with her? Why did he have her? He never saw the baby before."

Antionette Moran said the suspect took her baby, her Halloween costume, her church dress, tobacco and money before going out the back door.

Officer Michael Baxton Jr. brought the baby in her car seat while officer Ramone Carpenter led the suspect in just before 10 a.m. Saturday.

Charges had not yet been filed in the case and police would not confirm the suspect's identity as a result.