ATHENS, Ga. — Police in Athens have made an arrest in connection with the kidnapping of an infant that was directly tied to a car theft in February.
Authorities have charged 23-year-old Justin M. Robinson with motor vehicle theft and kidnapping as well as a slew of new charges after he was pulled over on during a traffic stop on Thursday.
Investigators believe that on Feb. 10, Robinson slipped into a car in the owner's driveway on Windy Hill Place and drove away with an 11-month-old baby in the rear car seat.
After an extensive search, the missing child and the stolen car were both found in a shopping center parking lot in neighboring Oconee County off of Epps Bridge Road - but the driver was missing.
Detectives began their investigation and followed up on multiple tips. On March 5, a post on the department's Facebook page asked the public for help identifying the suspect in a Feb. 28 burglary. Further input revealed that the suspect, later identified as Robinson, was not only a burglary suspect but also tied to the kidnapping earlier in February.
His arrest came around 2 a.m. on March 7 when Athens-Clarke County police noticed a car driving erratically on Dougherty Street not far from College Avenue. They soon learned the driver was Robinson
Now, in addition to warrants for kidnapping and car theft, Robinson now faces charges of failure to maintain lane, giving a false name to police, driving without a valid license, possession of methamphetamine and an open container violation.
He now sits in the Athens-Clarke County jail.
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