ATLANTA — A Goodwill trip lead to a kidnapping and police chase Monday morning and now a man is facing charges, according to Atlanta Police.
Officers said a woman told them she parked her car at the Goodwill located at 888 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in southwest Atlanta around 8:45 a.m. When she got out the car, a man jumped in and drove off with her 9-year-old son still in the backseat. She told police she left the car running.
Georgia State Patrol, Fulton County Police and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office all responded to the incident along with Atlanta Police officers in an effort to find the boy and the stolen car, according to APD Captain Felicia Claxton.
“We immediately began to canvass the area contacted our local partners received assistance from the Georgia State Patrol in the Fulton County Sheriff's Office at approximately 9:38 a.m.," Claxton said in a video released by APD online.
GSP said the suspect ran multiple red lights and stop signs while driving north on Peebles Street then west on Lucille Avenue at a high speed.
Atlanta Police's air unit wasn't available at the time, so Fulton County Police's Air Unit dispatched Police Pilot Champion and Detective Ward to help with the pursuit. A spokesperson with Fulton Police said the air unit located the black Honda Accord in the area, leading state troopers to the suspect.
Troopers then executed a PIT maneuver around 9:30 a.m. to end the chase. Police said authorities took the 38-year-old man into custody then immediately reunited the child with his mother.
He's charged with kidnapping, cruelty towards children, and theft by taking. Police said they're taking him to Grady's detention center for further evaluation.
As a precaution, the boy was taken to the hospital for medical observation. Police said he's going to be OK.
“The child is in good condition at this time being checked out by medical professionals. The suspect has been transported to headquarters for charges to be booked into the Fulton County Jail," Claxton added.
"Police Pilot Champion and Detective Ward’s quick response led to the safe return of a young child. I am proud of the work of these two officers, and I am grateful we were able to assist our law enforcement partners in swiftly resolving this case," Fulton County Police Chief W. Wade Yates said.
Police said the incident is still under investigation.
"This effort was a success because of the immediate response from the zone 4 units and also from the assistance provided from the Georgia State Patrol and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office," Claxton said.